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Victorycountry Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Count vs noncount nouns

0 Hi, 02br
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00It's sometimes confusing me whether a certain noun is countable. 02br
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00For example, the "bunk beds", as far as I know it can't be a singular noun just like the word " police". But what if I want to say in a bed store, I want two of them("Please don't tell me, I indicate the bed, and say ' I want two of these'"). I have been thinking expressions like "piece of", "lots of", but as you can see clearly here they won't fit to the "bunk beds" so I need help. 02br
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00In addition to that, what about the word "lettuce"? In my Oxford Dictionary, it can be both countable and noncountable. 02br
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00Please someone help! 02br
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00Thanks in advance. 0-
  

Top answer

0I don't know quite what you're after here, VC-- I'd order a set of bunkbeds, or (if I had four children or three wives) two sets of bunkbeds. 02br 02br 00Like many vegetables, its possible to make 'lettuce' countable, I suppose-- though it is hard to imagine outside the usual situation of discussion of varieties: 'Romaine and Iceberg are two popular lettuces'. 0-

— Mister Micawber

  • 0I don't know quite what you're after here, VC-- I'd order a set of bunkbeds, or (if I had four children or three wives) two sets of bunkbeds.
  • 02br 02br 00Like many vegetables, its possible to make 'lettuce' countable, I suppose-- though it is hard to imagine outside the usual situation of discussion of varieties: 'Romaine and Iceberg are two popular lettuces'.
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4 Answers
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0I don't know quite what you're after here, VC-- I'd order a set of bunkbeds, or (if I had four children or three wives) two sets of bunkbeds. 02br
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00Like many vegetables, its possible to make 'lettuce' countable, I suppose-- though it is hard to imagine outside the usual situation of discussion of varieties: 'Romaine and Iceberg are two popular lettuces'. 0-
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0 01blockquote
00(if I had four children or three wives)12blockquote
12br
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00That's sharp.[A] 0-
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0 Thanks, Mr.MM 02br
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00That's all I was wondering. 02br
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00So the expression for such a word(bunk beds) is " set of". 02br
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00But as for the vegetable, "lettuce", do you mean the noun becomes countable only if (like your example; Romaine and Iceberg) it indicates different type? 02br
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00So if I am or
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00Do you mean the noun becomes countable only if (like your example; Romaine and Iceberg) it indicates different type?12blockquote
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00Perhaps, but I was just offering a common context where normally uncountable nouns become countable: 02br
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00The Sunnis and the Shiites are two peoples who have trouble
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