Anonymous  +  128651 Fri, 19 Aug 05 09:09 PM Can you please explain when to use non-count nouns in their plural forms.  For example: profit vs profits feeling vs feelings communication vs communications difficulty vs difficulties skill vs skills My difficulty is that I can't seemd to understand the concept or when to add an "s" to something that I can't count, e.g., I can't count how many profit(s), or how many feeling(s), etc.  I can count one apple or two apples.  Can you please explain.  Thank you very much. Sunshine in DC. Anonymous Nouns, Plurals

	Mister Micawber  +  128761 Sat, 20 Aug 05 01:43 AM When a non-count noun takes a plural form, it becomes a countable noun.  You have to decide whether you are speaking of the non-countable condition/quality/amount, or of multiple instances of the same.  For example, I can have many feelings during a baseball game-- elation, depression, hope, despair,etc.-- or I can decide that feeling is inappropriate for a spectator sport and I can go place a bet with my bookie. Does this help? Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,780 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.' Nouns, Plurals

	MrPedantic  +  139137 Mon, 19 Sep 05 07:21 AM "These shorts are expensive"? MrP MrPedantic Joined on Tue, Oct 12 2004 Veteran Member 12,592 ...opella forensis / adducit febris...

	Mister Micawber  +  139257 Mon, 19 Sep 05 01:33 PM This pair of shorts is expensive? Mister Micawber

	Forbes  +  139327 Mon, 19 Sep 05 04:06 PM  Anonymous wrote: kindly give the singular of the following sentence; These trousers are expensive. There is no singular. This trouser is expensive is not Standard English. Forbes Joined on Thu, Jun 16 2005 Regular Member 895 Plurals

	pieanne  +  139329 Mon, 19 Sep 05 04:09 PM No, indeed. The singular is a pair of ...   pieanne Joined on Thu, Jan 20 2005 South of France ...But I'm Belgian! Veteran Member 7,517 I'm glad to help, but I'm not a native! And please excuse my typos...