Articles (a, an)

Hi Yoong Liat,

Following your advice that I should refer to dictionaries or English usage books to learn the correct thing, I found this:

From http://www.answers.com/topic/advice?cat=biz-fin&method=26&initiator=FFANS

THE AMERICAN HERRITAGE
ad·vice (ăd-vīs') hapes="_x0000_i1025" align="middle" border="0" height="18" width="20">
n.

1. Opinion about what could or should be done about a situation or problem; counsel.
2. Information communicated; news. Often used in the plural: advices from an ambassador.

HOUGHTON MUFFLIN COMPANY (banking dictionary)
advice

noun

1. An opinion as to a decision or course of action: counsel, recommendation. See opinion.
2. New information, especially about recent events and happenings. intelligence, news, tiding (often used in plural), word. Informal scoop. See knowledge/ignorance, words.

Regarding others' replies saying mistakes seem to come from the majority of non-native English speakers, please visit the following web sites:

From the majority of American courts - for example http://www.almb.uscourts.gov/Forms/Forms/statement_payment_advices.pdf
"Statement Under Penalty of Perjury Concerning Payment Advices - Due Pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 521(A)(1)(B)(iv)"

From a webpage of Cambridge University International Education and Training Society,  http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/iets/
" ... Summarise general situations and common difficulties for students in graduate, undergraduate, A-Levels and GCSE courses, and provide advices and assistances to individual cases."

From the transcript of Senator Robert Hill in Australlia, http://www.minister.defense.gov.au/2004/AVF843F.doc
"Well I understand there were some questions arising out of Mr Downer’s comments regarding Turkey and the travel advices."

According to many gurus at this forum, advices should not be used.

Now, I hope you all understand why ESL learners can easily become confused.

Let's table this and go on to something else, shall we? (I will post another question, using a new thread later).

Thank you all,
Hoa Thai

Yoong Liat wrote:

Hi Hoa Thai From a webpage of Cambridge University International Education and Training Society,  http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/iets/ " ... Summarise general situations and common difficulties for students in graduate, undergraduate, A-Levels and GCSE courses, and provide advices and assistances to individual cases." The word 'assistances', I believe, is a typo. 'Assistance' an uncountable noun. I've not come across 'assistances'. Could 'advices' be a typo too?

Dear Yoong Liat,

I maybe wrong, but I think people turn a noncount noun into a count noun because of their learning habit in grade schools (fish / fishes, water / waters, lemonade / a lemonade, etc...). The idea is to differentiate two or more types or groups of noncount entities. That is why advice also takes on the plural form. Here are a few examples:

I caught many fish today - no specific type.
Fishes show a starting variety of body forms and behaviors - different types of fish.

Please give me some water - no specific source.
Kayaking on the protected waters of Tomales Bay near San Francisco is fun - different water sources.

My parents give me their advice - no specific, just opinion.
This list contains the official advices from our embassy - various pieces of news / information.

All of the above can be found in dictionaries and usage handbooks. Thus, people like me assume that we can extend the principle to other noncount nouns.

In regards to assistance, one may find many governmental offices pluralize it too. For instance, they try to differentiate FEMA disaster assistance from those provided by various states; and refer to them as assistances.

Back to your question - if we follow the dictionaries strictly, one can assume that the statement given by Cambridge University IETS must contain typographical errors (i.e., by an unconscious action). However, we can also assume that whoever wrote that statement might consciously try to deliver various pieces of news knowing that they violated the so-called good writing practice and went for consistency.

Some people follow the leaders or take part in the majority; others decide to rebel in order to express their opinions, which they believe are more consistent and logical. I, myself, still need much time to learn to decide which side of the fence is right. So far, I believe this forum is the place for me to come for help when I am in doubt. I would appreciate that you could help me polish my language skills by giving me a few writing pointers while reading my replies.

Special thanks to you all,
Hoa Thai