advices?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi, according to this online dictionary the noun ‘advice’ does have the plural form ‘advices’. Do you agree that the word ‘advices’ exists?

Many thanks,
Torsten

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TOEIC short conversations: Interview request[YSaerTTEW443543]

2

Actually I’ve always known that exists the noun “advice” (and “piece of advice”). But I also know that English is a very flexible language…

1 Like
3

Hi Torsten,

To me ‘advice’ in the plural used to mean ‘recommendation’ is always an example of a classic error or possibly confusion with the third person singular of the verb ‘advise’ = advises. The only use I have ever heard is in the commercial sense of providing information on a sale. The BNC does give some examples of this use in the plural together with other examples:

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4

Hi Alan,

But those uses of “advices” is a telltale sign of a non-native speaker, right? Or is it common among native speakers?

5

Hi OTS,

I can only really speak for myself and say that ‘advices’ suggesting ‘recommendations’ is a no-no.

Alan

6

Hi OTS, if you mean the usage in the examples posted by Alan, that particular usage, referring to business documents, is okay. They aren’t errors.
Those examples don’t refer to ‘advices’ in terms of a recommendation, but to ‘advice notes’ — documents used in business transactions.

7

Hi Alan and Bev,
Thanks for your advice!
:slight_smile:

8

Hi everyone,

Could you explain me if it is wrong to say “I have always heard…”. In my message above I wrote “I’ve always known…”. I should have wrote “I’ve ever known…” instead?

Thanks.

9

Why not just “The BNC gives some examples…”?

Thanks a lot in advance. Be patient. :slight_smile:

10

Your sentence is correct as you wrote it.

The only use I have ever heard = this is the only usage I’ve come across in my experiences

I’ve always known = I have known for as long as I can remember

11

Hi Francis,

I used ‘does’ in my sentence to emphasise ‘give’ with the idea : it gives in fact.

Alan

12

Hi Bev and Alan,

You have been very kind, as always.

Thanks.

13

Hi,

in #8 I wrote: I should have wrote “I’ve ever known…” instead? - Could you tell me if that sentence is grammatically correct? I’m not sure it is at all.

14

I should have written…

15

Damn. How could I commit such a serious error? :-/

I would be very happy if you started to study Italian, Bev. :slight_smile:

16

(°) My doubt concerned the lack of inversion between verb and subject in the sentence - I should have written “I’ve ever known…” instead?

17

I replied in message #10.

Your sentence was correct using ‘I’ve always known’.

18

Yes, I was referring to the sentence “I should have written… instead?” => lack of inversion between verb and subject. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

19

The phrase (subject) the noun “advice” and the verb exists should NOT be inverted, Francesco. The word order was not correct the way you originally wrote it.

As for “I should have written… instead”, yes, you should have inverted if you were truly asking a question:

  • Should I have written … instead?

With no inversion, you could still ask the question a little more indirectly this way, for example:

  • I should have written … instead, shouldn’t I? [size=84](inversion only in the tag question)[/size]
    OR
  • I should have written … instead. Right? [size=84](no inversion)[/size]

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[size=75]“Private victories precede public victories. You can’t invert that process any more than you can harvest a crop before you plant it.” ~ Stephen R. Covey[/size]

20

Hi Amy!

I wrote “Actually I’ve always known that exists the noun advice” because I thought in Italian… I didn’t realise that I inverted the noun “advice” and the verb “exists”.

As for “I should have written… instead”, thanks for making clear.

Ciao Amy, I think highly of you. :slight_smile: