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Pter Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary
Compatibilities
All my dictionaries say "compatibility" is uncountable, but I've often seen people using "compatibilities". Is "compatibilities" incorrect?
Top answer
Probably not, but you haven't told us where you've seen people using it. Many non-count nouns can be used countably under certain conditions.
- Probably not, but you haven't told us where you've seen people using it.
- Many non-count nouns can be used countably under certain conditions.
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5 Answers
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Probably not, but you haven't told us where you've seen people using it. Many non-count nouns can be used countably under certain conditions.
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For example, I have mentioned "compatibility with A", "compatibility with B", and "compatibility with C" in various places in a document. Now when I talk about such compatibility collectively, can I say
"compatibilities with A, B and C"?
Under what conditions can non-count nouns be used countably?
"compatibilities with A, B and C"?
Under what conditions can non-count nouns be used countably?
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For example, I have mentioned "compatibility with A", "compatibility with B", and "compatibility with C" in various places in a document. Now when I talk about such compatibility collectively, can I say
"compatibilities with A, B and C"?-- Yes, probably. (I say probably because the grammar of the specific sentence may determine the choice, rather than the greater context.)
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"compatibilities with A, B and C"?-- Yes, probably. (I say probably because the grammar of the specific sentence may determine the choice, rather than the greater context.)
Un
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Oh, yes. Thank you, Mister Micawber.
Some of the use of non-count nouns in a countable way is so common that they are already mentioned in dictionaries, such as coffees, peoples, a grief, travels, a wounded pride. "Compatibility" is not (yet) mentioned as countable in any dictionary that I've checked. However, I've seen "compatibitilies" very often and there are a lot of hits from Goo
Some of the use of non-count nouns in a countable way is so common that they are already mentioned in dictionaries, such as coffees, peoples, a grief, travels, a wounded pride. "Compatibility" is not (yet) mentioned as countable in any dictionary that I've checked. However, I've seen "compatibitilies" very often and there are a lot of hits from Goo
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You won't find them all in any dictionary-- there are too many of them. And only the learners' dictionaries indicate noun countability anyway.
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