Hello!
I would really want to know when ‘food’ and ‘fruit’ are taken as countable and when they are taken as uncountable?
Thank you in advance for your support!
That’s a very wide ranging question. Here’s something to get you started:
goo.gl/uJ4o49
The simple answer is that when both these (and many other) nouns are used to describe a mass/quantity, they are not counted (uncountable) but when they are used to describe separate items, they are counted (countable).
Food provides energy - uncountable.
Some foods are harmful - countable.
Fruit offers a good diet - uncountable.
Fruits from many countries are available in this store - countable.
Is “Fruit from many countries are available in this store” also possible (without ‘s’) since fruit has two plural forms?
Thanks.
That’s exactly why I said the question was wide-ranging.
No, that would not be expected. You could not use ‘many’ there.
These two could be possible:
“Fruit from a variety of countries is available in this store.”
“Fruits for a variety of countries are available in this store.”
Don’t quite follow that. What’s wrong with ‘many’ and why ‘for’?
For - typing error. Should be ‘from’.
Many - Would you say:
Fruit from many countries is available in this store?
I wouldn’t.
I can’t honestly see a problem with that.
Music from many countries can be heard at the Festival Hall?
LOL!
I see you still argue black is white.
You are always reluctant to argue a case and invariably resort to a cheap crack. Pity.
Oh, you mean just like you did when you cheeped up in that other recent thread?
I repeat here what I said there:
“None so blind…”
All I am asking/questioning is why you think that this
is unacceptable. Can you explain your objection to it. I added another example
Do you not accept this?
Are you going to respond to this?
I don’t see the point. I’ve said everything I had to say. We obviously disagree. I do not find that sentence acceptable using ‘are’, and changing the context entirely adds nothing to that. Music is always uncountable.
I’ll have one more go. You say ‘many’ is unacceptable in the sentence and I can’t understand why.
Also what’s ‘why’ got to do with this?
I just can’t see the connection between ‘feel so threatened’ and our recent ‘exchanges’ over the last few days. I ask a question twice to find out why you find the use of ‘many’ unacceptable in a sentence concerning ‘fruit’ and even made a third attempt (‘snide’ you called it) but got no answer. True to from, as you have done on previous occasions, you ‘respond’ with comments like ‘I have nothing more to say’ ‘I stand by what i say’ etc etc. How does that suggest I feel threatened? Could it be the other way round? And of course who is doing the threatening? But then I’m being optimistic. No doubt those questions will hang in the air unanswered as all those others I have asked in the past.
Sorry, I have a question based on the recent posts. Is it acceptable to say: French music, British music, American music etc.?
Yes, indeed.