... to provide employees with office spaces that cater to their needs.

[neb090]

This company has been working hard to provide employees with office spaces that cater to their needs.
(It's a single translation test on my English exam without any context)

In this sentence, isn't space an unaccountable noun? What's the difference between space and spaces in this sentence?

 

[SoothingDave]

Each employee has their own space. So there are spaces. Plural.

 

[neb090]

Each employee has their own space. So there are spaces. Plural.

How about:

1. We don't have enough space in this house.

2. We don't have enough spaces in this house.

 

[Tarheel]

1. Yes.
2. No.

 

[neb090]

1. Yes.
2. No.

So unless it has a specific meaning expressing "everyone has his or her own space", I can't use plural space.

Am I right?

 

[Tarheel]

The word "space" in general is not countable. However, we each have our own individual spaces. So I guess the answer to your question is yes.

 

[emsr2d2]

So unless it has a specific meaning expressing "everyone has his or her own space", I can't use the plural "spaces". Am I right?

Are you referring only to the context in your thread or generally?

 

[jutfrank]

This company has been working hard to provide employees with office spaces that cater to their needs.
(It's a single translation test on my English exam without any context)

In this sentence, isn't space an unaccountable noun?

The noun is spaces (plural), not space (singular). It's plural and therefore countable.

What's the difference between space and spaces in this sentence?

The difference is that space is uncountable and spaces is countable. That's a meaning difference as well as a grammatical difference.

 

[jutfrank]

How about:

1. We don't have enough space in this house.

That's singular and uncountable.

2. We don't have enough spaces in this house.

That's plural and countable.

 

[neb090]

Are you referring only to the context in your thread or generally?

I mean my sentence in #3.

 

[neb090]

That's singular and uncountable.

That's plural and countable.

So I could use space as a countable and uncountable noun in any specific condition. Am I right?

 

[emsr2d2]

So I could use space as a countable and or uncountable noun in any specific condition. Am I right?

The word "space" can be countable or uncountable. Which one should be used depends entirely on context.