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Yoong Liat

#290200 Tue, 07 Nov 06 11:33 AM

We say 'Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.' If I have eaten an apple, can I say 'I have eaten a fruit' if I do not want to specify what fruit I have eaten?

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (5,863)

Yoong Liat

Clive

#290235 Tue, 07 Nov 06 02:09 PM

Hi,

No, say I have eaten some fruit.

You could also say I have eaten a piece of fruit, but that would sound quite stilted in some contexts.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (20,472)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Marius Hancu

#290269 Tue, 07 Nov 06 03:22 PM

As you can see here, fruit can be both C and U (Uncountable)

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=31470&dict=CALD

but I agree with Clive for your case.

Marius Hancu

Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006

Montreal, Canada

Veteran Member (11,673)

Believer

#299958 Sat, 02 Dec 06 03:20 PM

Hi Clive,

Please tell me why you cannot say "I have eaten a fruit" when you don't want to specify which fruit (one??) you have eaten? A dictionary definition might well be something like this:

An apple is a round fruit that ...

Believer

Joined on Mon, Jan 2 2006

Contributing Member (1,968)

Clive

#300005 Sat, 02 Dec 06 06:36 PM

Hi,

Please tell me why you cannot say "I have eaten a fruit" You can say it, but it will sound very odd to a native speaker.

when you don't want to specify which fruit (one??) you have eaten? Why don't you want to specify? Is it a secret? Smile [:)] That's partly why it sounds unnatural.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive