A Student's Introduction to English Grammar

86 Chapter 5 Nouns and noun phrases

imply, count nouns can take cardinal numerals (one, two, three, etc.) as dependent,

while non-count nouns cannot.

Non-count nouns that are invariably singular

Non-count nouns are usually invariably singular. The possibilities forfurniture, for

example, are shown in [11], where it is contrasted with the count noun chair:

[ 11 ] SINGULAR WITH SINGULAR WITH PLURAL WITH

DETERMINER THE NUMERAL ONE NUMERALS

COUNT NOUN the chair one chair two chairs

NON-COUNT NOUN the furniture *one fu rniture *two fu rn itu res

Furniture cannot combine with any numeral, not even one, which goes with singu­
lar forms. The same restrictions apply to such nouns as clothing, equipment,
footwear or the abstract nouns eagerness,perseverance, wetness.

Non-count nouns that are invariably plural

There are a fairly small number of non-count nouns that are invariably plural. Com­

pare the possibilities for count corpse and non-count remains shown in [12]:

[ 12] PLURAL WITH SINGULAR WITH PLURAL WITH

DETERMINER THE NUMERAL ONE NUMERALS

COUNT NOUN the corpses one corpse two corpses

NON-COUNT NOUN the remains *one remain *two remains

Remains is invariably plural, but even so, it cannot combine with numerals like two

or three, etc. Other nouns of this kind include credentials, genitals, proceeds, etc.

Nouns with count and non-count uses

Nouns that have only a count interpretation or only a non-count interpretation are in

a minority. Most nouns can be used with either kind of interpretation. The [a] and

[b] pairs in [13] are fairly typical.

[ 1 3 ] COUNT INTERPRETATION NON-COUNT INTERPRETATION

a. Wo uld you like a cake? b. Wo uld you like some more cake?

(^11) a. I'll have to borrow your fo otball. b. I'm going to play fo otball.
III a. The cover of this book is torn. b. The awning provides some cover.
IV a. I suggested afew improvements. b. There 's been little improvement.
When we speak of count and non-count nouns, therefore, we are referring to nouns
as used with a count and non-count interpretation. Thus cake is a count noun in [ia]
but a non-count noun in [ib], and so on.