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Thread: The word "engine"
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#1 26-Nov-2020, 13:50The word "engine"
Is the word "engine" countable? For example, "My new car has a powerful engine."
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#2 26-Nov-2020, 14:04Re: The word "engine"
I'm not a teacher. I speak American English. I've tutored writing at the University of Southern Maine and have done a good deal of copy editing and writing, occasionally for publication.
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#3 26-Nov-2020, 14:04Re: The word "engine"
Why do you think it might be uncountable?
Wouldn't two new cars have two engines?
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#4 26-Nov-2020, 14:08Re: The word "engine"
Thank you, Rover_KE for answering my questions. You never did before. Or perhaps I am wrong...
Originally Posted by Rover_KE
Yes, ten cars would have ten engines but English loves exceptions.. so who knows?! I had better ask a native speaker.
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#5 26-Nov-2020, 17:36Re: The word "engine"
You just got answers from two native speakers. Originally Posted by Rachel Adams
Why do you think engines might be an exception? Can you name another object that isn't countable? I can't think of one.I'm not a teacher. I speak American English. I've tutored writing at the University of Southern Maine and have done a good deal of copy editing and writing, occasionally for publication.
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#6 26-Nov-2020, 21:21Re: The word "engine"
Look up any noun in a decent dictionary and it will tell you if it's countable, uncountable, or both.
Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.
