Grammar: 'food' and 'clothes'

Question

Do we use 'is' or 'are' with 'food' and 'clothes'?  e.g. 'The food are / is in the fridge.'  'These are Tommy's clothes.' or 'This is Tommy's clothes.'

Yskh81 · Accepted Answer

Hi,
Always 'is' is used with 'food'
whereas 'are' is used with 'clothes'.
there is a specific rule in English Grammar that explains this. i am not able to recall it and i hope some of the other users of this forum will give us that rule.

Miriam · Answer

In English, there are 'countable' and 'uncountable' nouns.
Countable (or count) nouns are those that can be counted and which are distinguishable as separate entities. We can say one table, two tables, several tables, many tables. These nouns take definite and indefinite articles and admit a plural form.

Uncountable (or mass) nouns, on the other hand, are nouns that take 'zero article' (no article) and they do not have a plural form. These are nouns that cannot be identified as separate units but can be 'measured'. Examples of mass nouns are iron, butter, ink, sugar, money, and most abstract nouns (hope, help, perseverance, etc.). In English, we do not say 'a milk' or 'two milks', but 'some milk', 'a pint of milk', a 'bottle of milk', etc.

There are also nouns with 'dual class membership': they can be used as mass or count, depending on the context. Often, these nouns have a different meaning in the two classes:
"A glass (countable) is made of glass (mass)."
"The boy was threw a stone (countable) at a wall made of stone (mass)."

Miriam

Anonymous · Answer

Hi,

You stated on your response that uncountable (or mass) nouns are nouns that take "zero article" and I agree. But if we make a specific context for the uncountables, then those uncountables will take on articles, right?

Ex.

1. The butter we put on the bread last night tasted terrible.

2. The milk we drank last night seemed stale.

Pieanne · Answer

Yes, right, your sentences are correct.

Anonymous · Answer

Can you help with the correct way to state the following:

Use of this Community Center and its amenities are at your own risk

Use of this Community Center and its amenities is at your own risk

Thanks much

Pieanne · Answer

"Use" is subject, so it should be "is".

Anonymous · Answer

Mass nouns can never take the indefinite articles "a" or "an." But they can take the definite articles and still remain mass nouns.

Anonymous · Answer

If there is a lot of food, can we put foods or food ??

i've told by one of my friend that food doesnt have a 's' even it contents alot..

is it true?

Anonymous · Answer

Food never has an "s".  Always say "food is".  "Food are" is incorrect.

Grammar: 'food' and 'clothes'

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