Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
Plural-meaning nouns
Hi,
I have some what I think are plural-meaning nouns and they are membership, youth, crowd and people. The trouble is I am seeing them in plural sometimes.
Can you help me on that? I think I can somewhat conceive a situation in which a plural of 'crowd' might be used as in where you are conceiving serveral groups of people but the use of other words escapes my understanding. I also think I can understand the reationale for the use of the plural version of the word 'people' too.
But these?
memberships? youths?
Also, when can you put the word 'all' before a plural-meaning word like 'host'? I think 'host' is countable, eg, a host.
all the starry host
I have some what I think are plural-meaning nouns and they are membership, youth, crowd and people. The trouble is I am seeing them in plural sometimes.
Can you help me on that? I think I can somewhat conceive a situation in which a plural of 'crowd' might be used as in where you are conceiving serveral groups of people but the use of other words escapes my understanding. I also think I can understand the reationale for the use of the plural version of the word 'people' too.
But these?
memberships? youths?
Also, when can you put the word 'all' before a plural-meaning word like 'host'? I think 'host' is countable, eg, a host.
all the starry host
Top answer
These words function differently. Youth and membership can be countable or uncountable nouns: Youth is carefree. There is a youth / There are three youths standing on the corner.
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.
These words function differently.
Youth and membership can be countable or uncountable nouns:
Youth is carefree.
There is a youth / There are three youths standing on the corner.
Membership is free.
I have had a membership / They have had their memberships since 1984.
Crowd and host, like group and team,
These words function differently.
Youth and membership can be countable or uncountable nouns:
Youth is carefree.
There is a youth / There are three youths standing on the corner.
Membership is free.
I have had a membership / They have had their memberships since 1984.
Crowd and host, like group and team,
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