In Articles^x, Singular nouns^x

Hello, fog Your second sentence is correct. You are talking about the 'cost', a singular noun: "The cost of all these articles has risen." Miriam

You would treat it as a normal singular noun that usually has an article with it: "a/the dozen". It also has a plural form "dozens". If you have "a dozen" then you refer to an amount that includes 12 items - dozen here is regarded to be a -> single group, therefore it's used in singular. If...

"Apple is tasty" refers to apple-flavored things, whereas "the apple is tasty" refers to an individual apple. In general, a singular noun without an article refers to a class or type rather than to specific objects. For example, if someone asked you what kind of pies you like, you might say,...

on 19 Dec 2003: That is sometimes the only answer possible, but I don't think it's helpful in this case. There are reasons. -- Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

It's pretty obvious from the title of the posting that Alex knows this and wants to know why what appears to him to be a plural phrase is being used with 'a' which he's been taught goes with singular objects. Quote "Victory has a hundred fathers but defeat is an...

on 18 Dec 2003: Wouldn't it be even clearer and more useful to say that the indefinite article "a" is always used with a singular noun and that it indicates "one"? Then how do you explain the singular indefinite article being used with the plural noun "fathers"...