Memory/Memories

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

The word ‘memory’ can be either a countable noun or an uncountable noun. When the word ‘memory’ is used in general, the uncountable noun should be used. However, I have a doubt here.

I came across this sentence ‘People have short memories’ in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (oxfordadvancedlearnersdictio … ary/memory).

From how I perceive it, the word ‘people’ means persons in general, so the word ‘memory’ should take a general meaning, and it should read ‘People have short memory’.

I do not understand why the word ‘memories’, which is a countable noun, can be used to describe persons in general. Please enlighten me.

Thanks in advance.

2
3

People is the plural form of person.

More than one person, so more than one memory.

People - plural
memories - plural. The word is not being used in general here, it refers to the individual memory of each person.

4

So, is it correct if I replace the word ‘memories’ with ‘memory’ in the above sentence where memory is used as an uncoutable noun?

5

I’ve been taught that “people” is always plural.

But it would be acceptable for me that “people” is considered singular if one see them as a voting machine.

This people (people ~ nation) has short memory.

But I think that NES do not use the word people that way.
Do they?

Thanks

6

No, not unless you also replace ‘people’ with ‘person’

This person has a short memory.

7

Given that usage, then the use of the word ‘p[eople’ becomes even more confusing, because in that particular sense (nation) the correct usage would be:

‘These peoples have a short memory.’

This is the exception to the rule of ‘people’ being plural and not needing a suffix to make it plural.