By Expressions, Countable nouns

What perplexes me is why my possibly be an idiomatic expression. It's not unusual for a dictionary not to state everything possible about each entry. Dictionaries for native speakers do not usually contain much of this information, if any. Whether a noun is countable or not, and whether...

Thank you. What perplexes me is why my doesn't state this word "location" is an abstract noun or possibly be an idiomatic expression. It said that it is a 1) countable noun and a 2) phrase (on location). In no where there, does it say that it is an abstract noun or an idiomatic expression....

Hello AnonI'm a mere English learner from Japan and my role here is rather an asker than an answerer. But if you don't mind, I'd like you to read my ideas about your question. I take "school" in "go to school" or "church" in "go to church" as an uncountable noun. As you suggested, "school" or...

Anonymous wrote:Do you figure out how "the" should be used there? It should not be because it is a collective noun. Are you saying we have to take the phrase as it is without asking why "the" is there because it's an idiomatic expression, Paco? Hello HiroI am sorry but I have to say I might be...

This also might help…… Quantifiers used with countable and uncountable nouns.. with countable nouns with uncountable nouns e.g.……apples………. e.g........water.............. ...

Nouns like "pants", "gloves", "glasses" are almost always used in plural forms, because the things expressed by them are useful only when they are paired. I feel this kind of noun is bit different from usual countable nouns in the choice between the two expressions "this kind of" and "these kind...

You are right, Paco. The word 'problem' is definitely a countable noun. That's why when I first encountered the expression 'have x problem -ing,' perhaps decades ago, I thought it's a rather unusual construction. This peculiarity compelled me to memorize the expression by rote then. Along the...

Hi, again. Based on my grammar knowledge, limited though it is, I don't feel that 'in such case' is right, unless there is a new linguistic development going on. If it is indeed right, I dare say either that the word 'case' is considered both a countable and uncountable noun, or that 'such' is...

Hi I've two questions relating to 'both'. Which one is in a higher register? (1) They both are fine. (2) Both of them are fine. paco

Hello Mr. Micawber, Thank you for the tip about uncountable and plural countables nouns after of. So the expression 'the activity of users' is correct, and 'the activity of the users' is not because the article has to be placed before singular countable nouns. What do you think about the example...