Singular or Plural

Question

Disappointment, Damage, Happiness, Bankruptcy, Enjoyment.
All these are abtrast nouns, We can add "s" after some of them to show plural meaning, cannot add "s"after some of them to show plural meaning.
In order not to make us confused our teachers tell us not to add "s" after all abtrast nouns.
But this year, she require us to add "s" when there is need.
But we all are unable to differentiate which words can add "s" and which words cannot.
Please tell me if there is any simple rules to differentiate them .
Thank you

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Are you into "countable vs. uncountable"?

Ask yourself if it's possible to have two of them? It takes some knowledge of what the thing actually is.

Two bankruptcies? yes
Two enjoyments? no
Two disappointments? yes
Two damages? no
Two happinesses? no (Hmmm, "the inn of the sixth happiness??")

Sometimes there's a grey area. If you work hard enough you can come up with a context which leads you to say, "Yes, I can have two of those." But the usage you have in mind may be rare.

Most articles I've read on the subject claim there are a number of nouns which are both countable and uncountable.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Disappointment, Damage, Happiness, Bankruptcy, Enjoyment.
All these are abtrast nouns, We can add "s" after some of them to show plural meaning, cannot add "s"after some of them to show plural meaning.
In order not to make us confused our teachers told us not to add "s" after all abtrast nouns.
But this year, she requires us to add "s" when there is a need.
But we all are unable to differentiate which words can add "s" and which words cannot.
Please tell me if there are any simple rules to differentiate them.

Avangi is correct.You have to think if it is logical to have more than one of them.

Concrete nouns can also be count and non-count.
Consider air, water, smoke (not a cigarette, but the dirty air from fire), rice, cheese, sugar, and salt. These are non-count concrete nouns.

You can have 2 cups of water, but not 2 waters.
You can have three grains of rice, or four cups of rice, but not two rices.
You can have 2 cubes of sugar, or two spoonsful of surgar, or two packets of sugar, but not 2 sugars.
etc.

It takes a bit of practice, but you can think like Avangi suggests, "Is it logical to have more than one?" Some are not so obvious, but you can also think about if you could have "many" or "more".

For example, my car was in an accident. It has some damage, but not much. If the accident had been worse, it would have more damage. Damage is only one thing. It can be small or large, but it is only one. So damage cannot have a plural ending.

I am happy. I have some happiness in my life. I can have more happiness if I get 100% on a test. My happiness can be even greater if I find some money in the street or my friend gives me a hug. You can have more happiness, but it is still only one happiness. So happiness cannot have an "s" ending.

Lucus Ong · Answer

Actually, I don't understand Avangi and you.
But this is an important problem to me .

Below is what I think,
It's a big hapiness to live in a 5-star hotel.
It's a big enjoyment to live in a 5-star hotel.(I put " a" because I think living in a 5-star hotel is one thing that make us happy.)
He cause a lot of damages on my car. (I put "s" after damage to show that he cause damage to many parts of my car.)(Damage causing to minor is a damage and damage cause to wheel is another damage.)
I saw a word"energies"in a comprehension today.
I really don't understand why the writer can put s after enery.
I see also experiences, potentials, talents.
I really don't know how to differentiate which nouns cannot put s, which nouns can put s if it's abstrast nouns.
I get no ideas about it.
thank you

AlpheccaStars · Answer

The concept of count and noncount nouns is very important in English. If you do not understand this, you will never be fluent in English.
English learners make mistakes with count and noncount nouns all the time.
Here are two articles to read about count and non-count nouns.
Article 1
Article 2

Vctory OngBelow is what I think,
It's a big hapiness to live in a 5-star hotel. >> This is not a correct use of the word happiness. Happiness is the quality or feeling of being happy. It is not a time or a particular experience of being happy. You have some degree of happiness inside you all the time.

You can say:
I am happy when I live in a 5-star hotel.
Living in a 5-star hotel can boost people's level of happiness.
People generally do not find happiness just from having lot of money.

It's a big enjoyment to live in a 5-star hotel.(I put " a" because I think living in a 5-star hotel is one thing that make us happy.) This is not a correct use of the word enjoyment. It is similar to happiness.

The mother gets enjoyment from watching her children playing.

He caused a lot of damages on my car. (I put "s" after damage to show that he cause damage to many parts of my car.)(Damage causing to minor is a damage and damage cause to wheel is another damage.) >> No, that is not the way we use the word damage. Damage is general, not specific. You can have major damage or minor damage to your car, but not both at the same time.
But you can say: There was major damage to the front of the car, and some minor damage on the driver's side of the car.

I saw a word"energies"in a comprehension today. >> Energy can be countable, and sometimes not. It can be countable when it means a source of power, like coal, gas, oil, or the sun. The president encourages more investment in renewable energies.

I can be countable in nuclear physics talking about levels of subatomic particle energies.

It is countable when we mean a type of energy - such as mental, physical and emotional.
She concentrated all of her energies (physical, mental) on solving the problem.
It is not countable when we mean one kind of energy.
I have more energy in the morning than in the evening. (not energies!)
Eating a snack can give you more energy. (not energies!)

.

I really don't understand why the writer can put s after enery.
I see also experiences, potentials, talents.>> these are countable. I can have many experiences - flying in a plane, swimming,

I really don't know how to differentiate which nouns cannot put s, which nouns can put s if it's abstrast nouns.>> you have to learn about count and non-count nouns.

Avangi · Answer

Vctory OngBut this is an important problem to me .

Try not to get discouraged. There are many nouns which work both ways. And countable uses seem to be added all the time by advertisers and promoters. Ten years ago nobody would have said, "Toss me a couple of waters."

Keep doing what you're doing. If you think you've learned a principle which helps you decide when to add an "s," and you find a case which doesn't fit, just ask about it.

When a subject is thrust into the public consciousness (eg., energy) it starts to acquire countable uses. Ten years ago we would have said, "Name five different types of energy." Now we say "Name five different energies."
Others might have argued, "There are only two types of energy. You mean, five different sources of energy." Some technical terms have popular usages which don't seem to follow the rules.

Lucus Ong · Answer

We can say energies.
Why we can't say informations in the below sentence.
Can you give me informations about countable and uncountable nouns, and tenses.
There are different types of informations.

Avangi · Answer

This is exactly the problem. You can't use a formula approach.

In most of the cases where you would say "different types of X," you CANNOT say "different X's."

You need to gradually acquire a knowledge of how each noun is used. Read good stuff, so you can trust that the nouns are used correctly.

Perhaps you could try keeping a notebook of nouns which you know may be used both as a countable and as an uncountable.

Vctory Ong Please tell me if there is any simple rules to differentiate them .

In my opinion, the answer is "No."

Generally speaking, my approach is to ask myself, "Are these things, or is this stuff??"

I agree that abstract nouns will be on your list, but there are a lot of concrete things, like electricity, wind, fire, sea, air, etc. that need to be considered. (The four winds and the seven seas.)

Odessa Dawn · Answer

AlpheccaStarsHere are two articles to read about count and non-count nouns.Article 1 Article 2

Why do those two links not work, please?

EverydayEnglish · Answer

Lucus OngWe can say energies.

No, that is absolutely incorrect!

Lucus OngWhy we can't say informations in the below sentence.

Not this sentence, nor any sentence at all. Information is always uncountable.

Lucus OngThere are different types of informations.

Not in English.

Fivejedjon · Answer

Odessa DawnWhy do those two links not work, please?

They were posted five years ago. The sites they link to may well not exist any more.

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