Evidences

MrPedantic wrote:

Yes, both are fine; you might want to make it absolutely clear that a person had not simply edited a book, for instance. MrPedantic, what is the difference between someone editing a book and writing a book? To return to the earlier question, "evidences" might be used where you wanted to refer to individual items of evidence. Many seemingly non-countable abstract nouns can be used in this way; thus "felicity" is the state of happiness, but "felicities" might be individual instances of happiness. How should we know whether the writer is thinking something as an indiviudal instance of it or referring to an individual item of it? When a writer decides to use an uncountable word that deems to fit to turn around and being used as countable, does that person has to bear the burden of  seeing the readers are aware reasonably of the picture depicted by his writing and will concur to its usage? I think CalifJim has said something to the line that a countable noun can be modified by the article "the" if a writer believes that the readers is mindful of  the same thing, but in both cases, one being turning an uncountable noun into a countable noun and the other being the case of putting the infront of a countable noun thinking the readers are seeing the same thing, where does the reasonability of the mutual mindfulness of the matters on hand play out? Surely one doesn't at all have to be mindful of the fact whether the potential readers are aware of the matters that are brought out by one's writing. However, it might appear mannered What do you meam by this? Sorry if my questions seem disorganized. MrP

Grammar Geek wrote:

Some things show up in academic writing that would simply never be spoken in conversation. I assure you, in the U.S., if you are discussion a local crime and say "What's the evidences against him?" or something similar, you will be perceived to be making a mistake. Perhaps BrE is different.

Sorry, I posted in haste and a little carelessly!

I agree with Marius that "evidences" is rare, and with GG that it's very unusual in ordinary English. No doubt a British police constable would also eye you curiously if you used "evidences" in conversation.

However, "an evidence" = "a piece of evidence" is attested from 1503; and the countable usage turns up from time to time in literary contexts, e.g.

1. Polyandry and polygamy are both evidences of a crude and half-evolved humanity. (Wilcox)

2. Have found peculiar soapstone fragment about six inches across and an inch and a half thick, wholly unlike any visible local formation – greenish, but no evidences to place its period. (Lovecraft)

3. He surveyed through the park railings the evidences of the town's opulence and luxury with an approving eye. (Conrad)

4. All these evidences of the success of her handiwork might have turned a calmer head than Mrs. Fetherel's... (Wharton)

MrP

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the seventh edition.

evi•dence
noun
1 [U, C] ~ (of / for sth)| ~ (that ... )| ~ (to suggest, show, etc.) the facts, signs or objects that make you believe that sth is true: There is convincing evidence of a link between exposure to sun and skin cancer. We found further scientific evidence for this theory. There is not a shred of evidence that the meeting actually took place. Have you any evidence to support this allegation? The room bore evidence of a struggle. On the evidence of their recent matches, it is unlikely the Spanish team will win the cup. (technical) The cave contained evidences of prehistoric settlement.
2 [U] the information that is used in court to try to prove sth: I was asked to give evidence (= to say what I knew, describe what I had seen, etc.) at the trial. He was released when the judge ruled there was no evidence against him.