They are neither singular nor plural in meaning they stand outside the concept of number altogether.Ĭhapter 1, “Noun plurals,” contains a detailed discussion of noncount nouns. The fact that these nouns agree with singular verbs does not mean that the nouns are singular in meaning. Butter is probably better for you than margarine.
Warm air carries more moisture than dry air. Noncount nouns are always used in agreement with singular verb forms, for example: X one luck, two lucks, three lucks X one air, two airs, three airs X one butter, two butters, three butters Here are some examples with the noncount nouns luck, air, and butter: These nouns cannot be used with number words. For example, using the noun deer as a subject, we can see the verb be changes form, from singular to plural, in agreement with the number of the subject:Įnglish has a large number of noncount nouns. We can also see that irregular nouns like deer and fish have both singular and plural uses by whether the singular or plural verb form is used. One deer, two deer, three deer one fish, two fish, three fish Note that even nouns like deer and fish that have no distinct plural forms are still count nouns: One book, two books, three books one woman, two women, three women For example the nouns book and woman are count nouns: Most common nouns are count nouns, that is, they can be used with number words like one, two, three, and the nouns can be used in either the singular or the plural. (Neither possessives nor demonstratives are affected by this distinction.) Here is an example of each type:Īrticles and quantifiers are different from adjectives and other determiners in that the choice of article and quantifier is determined in part by whether the noun being modified is count or noncount. This chapter focuses on the two types of determiners that are most likely to cause you problems: (1) articles and (2) quantifiers. There are four types of determiners: articles, possessives, demonstratives, and quantifiers: This chapter focuses on two types of noun modifiers that are very troublesome for nonnative speakers: (1) articles and (2) quantifiers.Īrticles and quantifiers are types of determiners, a collective term for all noun modifiers that precede adjectives. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Advanced English Grammar for ESL Learners (2011) 3 Articles and quantifiers
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