Amount(s)

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

It flows out quickly out of a hole in large amounts.

I don’t understand why the word ‘amounts’ is used in the plural when it refers only to one hole. Could anyone please enlighten me?

Thanks in advance.

2

‘amounts’ does not refer to the hole, but to the substance indicated here as ‘it’.

3

Thanks, Beeesneees.

My doubt is that if ‘it’ is a liquid and is thus uncountable, why is the word ‘amounts’ in the plural?

4

Although the general rules is to use " amount of + uncountable noun" e.g. amount of money, amount of water, this is a special case where it can be presumed that the spurts ebbed and flowed, so an amount came out, then another amount, then another amount and so on.

‘in large amounts’/‘in csmall amounts’/'in copious amounts, etc. can be used of uncountable nouns in this type of scenario and the phrases are very commonplace.

5

Ok, now it makes sense.

Thanks a lot, Beeesneees!