Saturday, July 6, 2013
Errors in the use of singular and plural:
One can give a lot of advice. (not advices.)
You may read poetry. But you can’t read poetries. You can read only poems.
‘Staff’ is a collective known comprising all the members of the staff. It is singular.
The staff is very happy with Umesh’s performance. ( Not staffs.)
The scenery was breathtaking. ( not sceneries).But we can say,
The scenes were lovely.
We have bought new furniture- (not furnitures) . We have bought a few chairs and tables.
I bought a loaf of bread and ate three slices.
For your reference:
Nouns, always singular
advice help honesty music poverty
Information beauty bravery truth wisdom
knowledge bread butter coffee gold
milk sugar luggage water powder
silk hair furniture weather scenery
homework stationery poetry traffic crew
Nouns, always plural
jeans shorts pants tights trousers
binoculars glasses pliers scissors spectacles
contents Alms savings oats stairs
belongings riches wages arms surroundings
drugs outskirts teens arrears earnings
premises thanks auspices regards funds
clothes condolences goods congratulations
Nouns, singular in form but plural in sense:
cattle people police
Nouns in the same form in singular and plural:
deer poultry sheep public fish issue
* What is onomatopoeia?
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