Stenka25 Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Quantity vs. quantities
The sentences below is those with quantity or quantities.
The problem is I'm not sure about the pattern of usage of quantity or quantities.
In these sentences, two with 'quantities' had plural context, such as 'vegetables' and 'dust and carbon dioxide.'
But the sentence with 'oil' doesn't have any plural context.
Can you advise me about the word 'quantity's pattern, or does it just have an irregular pattern, an arbitrary way of usage?
? The police also found a quantity of ammunition in the flat.
? Add 50 grams of butter, and the same quantity of sugar.
? He had consumed a large quantity of alcohol.
? The sheer quantity of text meant that people did not read the whole of their newspaper.
? It's a lot cheaper if you buy it in quantity.
? Huge quantities of oil were spilling into the sea.
? Buy vegetables in small quantities, for your immediate use.
? The theory has to do with the accumulation of dust and carbon dioxide that modern technology pours into the atmosphere in great quantities.
The problem is I'm not sure about the pattern of usage of quantity or quantities.
In these sentences, two with 'quantities' had plural context, such as 'vegetables' and 'dust and carbon dioxide.'
But the sentence with 'oil' doesn't have any plural context.
Can you advise me about the word 'quantity's pattern, or does it just have an irregular pattern, an arbitrary way of usage?
? The police also found a quantity of ammunition in the flat.
? Add 50 grams of butter, and the same quantity of sugar.
? He had consumed a large quantity of alcohol.
? The sheer quantity of text meant that people did not read the whole of their newspaper.
? It's a lot cheaper if you buy it in quantity.
? Huge quantities of oil were spilling into the sea.
? Buy vegetables in small quantities, for your immediate use.
? The theory has to do with the accumulation of dust and carbon dioxide that modern technology pours into the atmosphere in great quantities.
Top answer
Start with this sentence: ? Buy vegetables in small quantities, for your immediate use. You buy a small quantity of carrots, a small quantity of onions, and a small quantity of potatoes.
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Start with this sentence:
? Buy vegetables in small quantities, for your immediate use.
You buy a small quantity of carrots, a small quantity of onions, and a small quantity of potatoes. You bought small quantities of vegetables.
? The theory has to do with the accumulation of du
? Buy vegetables in small quantities, for your immediate use.
You buy a small quantity of carrots, a small quantity of onions, and a small quantity of potatoes. You bought small quantities of vegetables.
? The theory has to do with the accumulation of du
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Thanks for your detailed description, Terryxpress.
But I'm afraid that your answer still doesn't have any comment on the sentence, "Huge quantities of oil were spilling into the sea."
But I'm afraid that your answer still doesn't have any comment on the sentence, "Huge quantities of oil were spilling into the sea."
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You have taken your sentences from Longman's Dictionarry, or from one of the other 93 sites that quote these sentences. The trouble is, this sentence has no context: is it from a ship, or from an oil-drilling platform that has 'blown'? There is no information in the sentence to explain why the author used 'quantities'.
What I do note is that the Past Progressive is used, referring to t
What I do note is that the Past Progressive is used, referring to t
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I found this in the oxford dictionary.
"a product that is cheap to produce in large quantity."
"a product that is cheap to produce in large quantity."
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