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Teo Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

evidences

0The 01font00evidences 02font00of this decline include not only results on a variety of objective tests, but also first-hand observations by teachers and professors, and dismaying experiences by employers who have found the end-product seriously lacking.02br
02br
00Can the word 'evidence' be used as a countable noun?0-
  

Top answer

0 Yes, but it's rare. 02br 02br 00 At the New York Times you find several:02br 01font 00"these evidences": 02font 02br 05002br 00 but none are shown at the BBC. 02br 02br 00 This is from an AmE dictionary:02br 00 ----02br 01b 00ev·i·dence02b 00 02br 02br 00 Function: 01i 00noun02br 02br 02i 01font 00 Inflected Form(s): 02font 01b 01font 00-s02font 02br 02b 02br 05202br 00 ---------02br 02br 00 Cambridge shows it as U(Uncountable) though: 02br 05102br 02br 00 I'd be01b 00 very02b 00 reserved in using it in the plural.

— Marius Hancu

  • 0 Yes, but it's rare.
  • 02br 02br 00 At the New York Times you find several:02br 01font 00"these evidences": 02font 02br 05002br 00 but none are shown at the BBC.
  • 02br 02br 00 This is from an AmE dictionary:02br 00 ----02br 01b 00ev·i·dence02b 00 02br 02br 00 Function: 01i 00noun02br 02br 02i 01font 00 Inflected Form(s): 02font 01b 01font 00-s02font 02br 02b 02br 05202br 00 ---------02br 02br 00 Cambridge shows it as U(Uncountable) though: 02br 05102br 02br 00 I'd be01b 00 very02b 00 reserved in using it in the plural.
  • key=26647&dict=CALD242
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24 Answers
0
0 Yes, but it's rare. 02br
02br
00 At the New York Times you find several:02br
01font00"these evidences": 02font02br
05002br
00 but none are shown at the BBC. 02br
02br
00 This is from an AmE dictionary:02br
00 ----02br
01b00ev·i·dence02b00
0
0
0 Not in American English. I can't say for other forms. 0-
0
0
0The following point to the fact that the plural of 'evidence' is 'evidences'. The Collins Cobuild Dictionary for Advanced Learners also states that 'evidences' is the plural noun. I think it is a British English usage.02br
02br
001. Includes (fols. 1-2) a draft of his preface to 01i00A defence of the Christian revelation on two... points... contained in... Observa
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10Teo12cite10The 11font10evidences 12font10of this decline include not only results on a variety of objective tests, but also first-hand observations by teachers and professors, and dismaying experiences by employers who have found the end-product seriously lacking.12blockquote
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0
0My conclusion is it is used both by in American and British English. I don't think Thomas Sowell has used the word wrongly.0-
0
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0Teo wrote: 'The above passage is quoted from a book01b00 written by02b00 Thomas Sowell, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.'02br
02br
00The above passage is quoted from a book01b00 by02b00 Thomas Sowell, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. 02br
02br
00I would like to confirm whether 'written' is
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0
0Yes, both are fine; you might want to make it absolutely clear that a person had not simply 01i00edited02i00 a book, for instance. 02br
02hr
00To return to the earlier question, "evidences" might be used where you wanted to refer to individual items of evidence. Many seemingly non-countable abstract nouns can be used in this way; thus "felicity" is the
0
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Yoong Liat12cite10My conclusion is it is used 11font10both by in12font10 American and British English. I don't think Thomas Sowell has used the word wrongly.12br
12br
12blockquote
10A typo.0-
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Teo12cite11blockquote
11cite20Yoong Liat22cite22br
20My conclusion is it is used 21font20both by in22font20 American and British English. I don't think Thomas Sowell has used the word wrongly.22br
22br
22blockquote
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0 Thanks, Mr P, for your reply to my question. 0-
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