hoards of food in the seas of the world

[Naeem Afzal]

Hi teachers,

Is "There are lots of hoards of food in the seas of the world" correct?

Thanks.

 

[SoothingDave]

No. The word you want is "hordes." But that refers to groups of people, not animals. So it's wrong any way you spell it.

Unless you really mean "hoard," but that doesn't work because a "hoard" is something someone is saving and jealously guarding. There may be a lot of fish in the sea, but no one is hiding them and trying to keep them from everyone else.

 

[emsr2d2]

There may be a lot of fish in the sea, but no one is hiding them and trying to keep them from everyone else.

Ah, you clearly don't remember the Turbot Wars!

 

[MikeNewYork]

"Hordes" can be used to describe non-humans. In particular, it can be used to describe swarms of insects.

 

[lotus888]

You might hear something like:

There are tons of food in the seas of the world.


--lotus

 

[tedmc]

'Abundance of food' could also be used.

not a teacher

 

[Rover_KE]

... as long as you change the verb and add an article:

'There is an abundance of food...'

 

[BobK]

lotus888 - with hyperbolic nouns like tons and loads I'd be inclined to use a singular verb. (I don't know if there's a rule, and I could well be breaking it, but this is what I - as a native speaker of BE - would say; 'There's tons/loads/masses/oodles... of food in the sea.')

(Perhaps the hyperdole angle is a red herring. I would say 'There are millions of leptocephali in the sea' - though, come to think of it, that's no hyperbole, as there really are millions. So scrub my retraction!)

b

 

[lotus888]

Interesting take on the hyperbolic nouns. I have heard "There's tons of that stuff everywhere." Maybe it's as erroneous as the ubiquitous "Ain't that the truth?"

There really are no absolutes in language. And the line on the red herring?... :lol:

BTW, your moniker of Harmless drudge is really great. There was once an English contributor on one of these English websites who called himself the Curmudgeon. That was funny. If we take ourselves too seriously, we'd be in danger of losing our sanity.


--lotus

 

[BobK]

'Harmless drudge' isn't original. That, as you may know but some readers may not, was Samuel Johnson's definition of a lexicographer (someone who writes dictionaries. I was referring to this.) ;-)

b

 

[Naeem Afzal]

Thanks to all of you for the answers.

This is what (the following sentence) I wanted to say but couldn't find proper words and consequently, I used some wrong words.

"There is an abundance of food in the seas of the world." Now the questions arises whether one can use "vast" before "abundance" or not?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes, one can.