Indefinite plural nouns when subjects are definite
1. We are good friends.
2. My parents are no longer lovers.
I have two questions on
Q1) whether it's grammatically correct to use an indefinite plural noun (good friends, lovers) even if its subject is a definite plural (we, my parents).
Q2) If it's grammatically correct, why is it used like that? Is it because even though a plural subject (we, my parents) is definite in number, its characteristic (friends, lovers) is vague and indefinite to listeners who don't know anything about what kind of good friends and lovers are we and my parents?
Top answer
By "indefinite plural noun", do you mean one without the definite article? In other words, are you contrasting these sentences with "We are the good friends" and "My parents are no longer the lovers"?
- By "indefinite plural noun", do you mean one without the definite article?
- In other words, are you contrasting these sentences with "We are the good friends" and "My parents are no longer the lovers"?
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By "indefinite plural noun", do you mean one without the definite article? In other words, are you contrasting these sentences with "We are the good friends" and "My parents are no longer the lovers"?
0I don't understand your question at all. Is it this? When is the definite article (the) used with plural nouns?
The term "definite plural" and "indefinite plural noun" are not valid terms. Articles are definite (the), indefinite (a, an) or null (no article.)
"The" can be used with plural nouns, when you mean a specific set of objects.
e.g.
Books are kept in a library
0to be friends and to be lovers are idioms that express relationships between two people. Another is to be enemies.
These are descriptions of relationships, not of specific people who are friends or lovers or enemies. In such cases we don't use an article.
CJ
0
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