Plural term for collective nouns

   Share on Facebook  
Hvpl  #192199  Fri, 03 Feb 06 11:50 AM
I understand that certain nouns (collective nouns?) that do not have a plural word. E.g. aircraft, rain and perspiration. However, I come across such usage, specially in Asia. "Many aircraftS are taking off and landing at this airport."  or "Beads of perspirationS fell from his forehead".
Are there actually such words as aircraftS and perspirationS?
  
Not Ranked
Joined on Fri, Feb 3 2006
New Member (01)
Mister Micawber  #192215  Fri, 03 Feb 06 12:46 PM

I consider both unacceptable.

  
Top 10 Contributor
Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004
Yokohama
Veteran Member (21,223)
SystemAdministratorTeachers
'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'
paco2004  #192277  Fri, 03 Feb 06 02:43 PM
 Hvpl wrote:
I understand that certain nouns (collective nouns?) that do not have a plural word. E.g. aircraft, rain and perspiration. However, I come across such usage, specially in Asia. "Many aircraftS are taking off and landing at this airport."  or "Beads of perspirationS fell from his forehead".
Are there actually such words as aircraftS and perspirationS?
Hello Hvpl

Welcome to this Forum. I too am an English learner from an East Asian country.

As for perspiration, my English-Japanese dictionary says "perspiration" is sometimes used as a countable noun, but I think that usage is very rare. Google gives 5,388,000 English pages for "perspiration" but only 16,000 pages for "perspiration". But there seems some people who say "profuse perspirations" on the analogy of "profuse tears".

"Aircraft" is commonly used as a collective noun but it is sometimes used as a countable nouns.
(EX) President Roosevelt said that the United States would build 6000 military aircraft.
(EX) The United States contemplated building an aircraft the size of a football field.
(EX) We made a decision to send aircraft -- heavy cargo aircrafts to help in the rescue operations.

paco
  
Top 25 Contributor
Joined on Wed, Nov 17 2004
Senior Member (4,095)
In Japan today even dogs are learning how to bow-wow in English.
Teo  #192474  Sat, 04 Feb 06 10:10 AM

Aircraft is a countable noun, not a collective noun. Its plural form is also aircraft.

For example, an aircraft, two aircraft, a sheep, two sheep.

  
Top 50 Contributor
Joined on Tue, Sep 28 2004
Taiwan
Contributing Member (1,613)
Thank you very much for your reply.
paco2004  #192480  Sat, 04 Feb 06 10:21 AM
 "Aircraft" can be singular and plural forms for a countable noun "aircraft", but it also can behave like a collective noun.

paco  
  
AddThis Feed Button RSS Feed: ESL General English Grammar Questions
© 2008 MediaCET Ltd.
Terms and Conditions & Terms of Service