Which one is correct? (conditional clause)

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Goodman

#432451 Fri, 19 Oct 07 06:33 PM

Yoong Liat wrote:
Neeraj Jain wrote:

Hi Goodman,

I guess that you cannot use "troubles". The right word is "trouble".

Hi Jain

I agree with you.

Trouble is usually an uncountable noun. Are you having trouble /[troubless]with your car? Plural is also fine.

get/run into trouble

Your troubles are your worries: Sit down and forget your troubles (OR problems) for a minute.

(Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Hi Liat,

If I were to gather an impression of your comments, I am picking up some contradiction in your examples. You agreed with Jain in the opening but you also recited some examples in plural. Can you elaborate?

Goodman

Joined on Mon, Nov 7 2005

Calif. USA

Senior Member (2,981)

The name says it all!

Clauses, Conditionals, Countable nouns, Nouns, Plurals, Uncountable nouns

Yoong Liat

#432461 Fri, 19 Oct 07 06:52 PM

Capitol Hill Blue: Bush's troubles mount as Republican defections ...

Bush's troubles mount as Republican defections increase By DOUG THOMPSON Publisher, Capitol Hill Blue Nov 17, 2005, 08:15, Email this article

Will Britney Spears' Recent Troubles Cost Her? - Associated Content

Check out Will Britney Spears' Recent Troubles Cost Her? - Submitted by Lisa Ann at Associated Content.
www.associatedcontent.com/article/164925/will_britney_spears_recent_troubles.html

Hi Goodman

Can you see that the troubles in your sentences are related to the following definition?

Your troubles are your worries: Sit down and forget your troubles (OR problems) for a minute.

(Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (5,610)

Yoong Liat

Articles, Clauses, Conditionals

Goodman

#432473 Fri, 19 Oct 07 07:23 PM

Liat,

What it is about the examples I used that made you think they are incorrect. My rebuttal to Jain’s comments was self-explanatory, no need to repeat it. Trouble / troubles are both possible, depending on the context. Now, let’s back track to Jain’s comment about “troubles” being incorrect, if you are still on the same argument.

Can you see that the troubles in your sentences are related to the following definition?

Your troubles are your worries: Sit down and forget your troubles (OR problems) for a minute.

_{I don't see anything wrong in examples with "troubles"....}

_{Her troubles, his troubles a lot of trouble, in depth trouble are all possible. I don't get your point!}

Goodman

Clauses, Conditionals

Yoong Liat

#432477 Fri, 19 Oct 07 07:35 PM

Neeraj Jain wrote:
Hi Goodman,

I guess that you cannot use "troubles". The right word is "trouble".

Goodman wrote: If you ~~face~~ run into troubles, call me.

Jain is saying that you should use 'trouble' , not 'troubles'.

Trouble is usually an uncountable noun. Are you having trouble with your car?

get/run into trouble (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Your troubles are your worries: Sit down and forget your troubles (OR problems) for a minute.
(also extracted from the above dictionary)

Yoong Liat

Clauses, Conditionals, Countable nouns, Nouns, Uncountable nouns

Goodman

#432481 Fri, 19 Oct 07 07:46 PM

Yoong Liat wrote:
Neeraj Jain wrote:

Hi Goodman,

I guess that you cannot use "troubles". The right word is "trouble".

Goodman wrote:
Jain is saying that you should use 'trouble' , not 'troubles'.

Trouble is usually an uncountable noun. Are you having trouble with your car?

get/run into trouble (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Your troubles are your worries: Sit down and forget your troubles (OR problems) for a minute.
(also extracted from the above dictionary)

If you ~~face~~ run into troubles, call me.

I see nothing wrong with "troubles"

Goodman

Clauses, Conditionals, Countable nouns, Nouns, Uncountable nouns

Yoong Liat

#432487 Fri, 19 Oct 07 08:01 PM

Goodman wrote:
Yoong Liat wrote:
Neeraj Jain wrote:

Hi Goodman,

I guess that you cannot use "troubles". The right word is "trouble".

Goodman wrote:
Jain is saying that you should use 'trouble' , not 'troubles'.

Trouble is usually an uncountable noun. Are you having trouble with your car?

get/run into trouble (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Your troubles are your worries: Sit down and forget your troubles (OR problems) for a minute.
(also extracted from the above dictionary)

If you ~~face~~ run into troubles, call me.

I see nothing wrong with "troubles"

Trouble is usually an uncountable noun. Are you having trouble with your car?

get/run into trouble (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Based on the above extract from Longman Dictionary, I would say that it should 'trouble'. (uncountable noun)

Yoong Liat

Clauses, Conditionals, Countable nouns, Nouns, Uncountable nouns

Yoong Liat

#432490 Fri, 19 Oct 07 08:06 PM

Hi Goodman

I searched for 'run into troubles' but found 'run into trouble' instead. The following is just one of the extracts.

Oxford University Google Search

Oxford University > Search Oxford University > Search Results


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Search the Web Search ox.ac.uk

Web

Searched pages from ox.ac.uk for run into troubles. (0.06 seconds)

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - zISvebKjXEJ:www.chem.ox.ac.uk/spectroscopy/nmr/PDFs/ac_user.PDF+run+into+troubles&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&ie=UTF-8">View as HTML
(If you run into trouble with this the simplest option is to abort the integral routine and try again!). You. may now have to adjust the slope of the ...
www.chem.ox.ac.uk/spectroscopy/nmr/PDFs/ac_user.PDF - Similar pages

Yoong Liat

Clauses, Conditionals, Images, Universities

Goodman

#432507 Fri, 19 Oct 07 08:56 PM

Yoong Liat wrote:
Hi Goodman
I searched for 'run into troubles' but found 'run into trouble' instead. The following is just one of the extracts.

Oxford University Google Search

Oxford University > Search Oxford University > Search Results

powered by

Search the Web Search ox.ac.uk

Web Searched pages from ox.ac.uk for run into troubles. (0.06 seconds)

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - zISvebKjXEJ:www.chem.ox.ac.uk/spectroscopy/nmr/PDFs/ac_user.PDF+run+into+troubles&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&ie=UTF-8">View as HTML
(If you run into trouble with this the simplest option is to abort the integral routine and try again!). You. may now have to adjust the slope of the ...
www.chem.ox.ac.uk/spectroscopy/nmr/PDFs/ac_user.PDF - Similar pages

Liat,

Fine, if you believe and insist that what you learned is true, I don't want you to change your opinion on my behalf.

I know you searched for "if you run into trouble...".Have you tried others? (when you..../ should you.../ in case you ...?

My point is, the book's answers don't always explain everything. In this case, "troubles" as in the plural context discussed, is just as valid as it's singular cousin.

One can have trouble with marriage, job and finance at the same time, so what is wrong with plurals, as in "having troubles"!

Goodman

Clauses, Conditionals, Images, Marriage, Plurals, Universities

Yoong Liat

#432521 Fri, 19 Oct 07 09:34 PM

Hi Goodman

Recently you said that you follow traditional grammar rules, but now you say book's answers don't always explain everything. You're contradicting yourself, aren't you? If you don't rely on dictionaries and authoritative websites for answers, but just argue without any supporting statements as you claim Jain does, then what is the yardstick? If that is the case, anybody can say 'advices' is correct in the context of giving advice to somebody.

Why should I search for others, when the issue is 'run into trouble/troubles'? It doesn't make sense, does it?