Number and countability
9 important questions on Number and countability
What are singular-only nouns and provide examples?
- SINGULAR-ONLY NOUNS: crockery, dross, harm, nonsense
- news, mumps, physics
What defines plural-only nouns and list some examples?
- PLURAL-ONLY NOUNS: belongings, clothes, genitals, scissors
- cattle, police
What's the difference between count and non-count nouns?
- COUNT NOUNS: Can take numerals (e.g., one student, two students)
- NON-COUNT NOUNS: Cannot take numerals (e.g., one harm, two harms)
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What are examples of count and non-count noun interpretations?
- Count Interpretation: He pulled out a white hair.
- Non-Count Interpretation: He has white hair.
How does subject-verb agreement function with person-number properties?
- The dog is barking.
- The dogs are barking.
What are measure expressions and how do they affect subject-verb agreement?
- Example: Two hours isn't long enough for such a job.
Explain quantificational nouns and illustrate with an example.
- A lot of people like it. (The verb agrees with "people", not "lot")
How do collective nouns affect subject-verb agreement?
- Example: The jury hasn't reached a decision.
What is the significance of semantically-motivated departures from subject-verb agreement?
- MEASURE EXPRESSIONS: Time is treated as singular.
- COLLECTIVE NOUNS: Can use singular or plural verb forms.
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