NOUNS ENDING IN -ICS

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 661.

C) OBJECTS MADE OF A PARTICULAR MATERIAL

B) INDIVIDUAL QUANTITIES

A) DIFFERENT SORTS

They produce high quality cheeses. They served different winesat the wedding reception.

Two ice-creams please. How many sugars do you take in your tea?

They have twoirons but neither of them is in order. He was dressed intweeds.

ABSTRACT NOUNS

NATURAL PHENOMENA: cold, heat, lightning, sunshine, weather

ABSTRACT IDEAS: courage, freedom, happiness, luck, peace

Abstract nouns may be used as countable nouns when they denote an object exhibiting the quality expressed by the noun:

Beauty is only skin deep. but Mrs. Brown's daughters are all renowned beauties.

Some abstract nouns are used in the plural to intensify the meaning expressed by the singular:

the frosts of an arctic winter, the chills of winter, the colds of midwinter, the heats of Africa

The plural of some non-countable nouns denotes depth of feeling: My sympathies! Many thanks! Congratulations!

En : Slov

UNCOUNT.COUNT.

information

advice

knowledge

news

work

En : Slov.

COUNT.UNCOUNT.

imports

exports

developments

energy

life

risk

En : Slov.

PL.SG.

Make up your minds!

This will break your parents' hearts.

(p. 54!)

The name of sciences ending in -ics, though plural in form are nowadays usually treated as singulars.

Acoustics is the science of heard sound.

Phonetics is a branch of linguistics.

Politics demands a person's whole energies.

But the above nouns are usually treated as plurals when practical is meant:

The acoustics of our new concert hall are good.

His phonetics are first class.

The nouns athletics, gymnastics,tacticsare generally considered as plural since they imply practical application:

Athletics are an essential part of the Olympic Games.

Gymnastics helpto keep you fit.

Some names of diseased in –s are usually treated as singulars.

Measles is an infectious disease.

Mumps is accompanied by a painful swelling in the neck.

Rickets is caused by deficiency in vitamin D.

plural non-countable nouns (p. 55-57)

A number of English non-countable nouns lack a singular form and are used only in the plural (pluralia tantum).