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CHAPTER 15. PLURAL COUNTABLE NOUNS |
1. The absence of a determiner before plural countable nouns
The absence of a determiner before plural countable nouns generally
has the same significance as the presence of
a or
an before singular
countable nouns.
a. Making a general statement
When used in general statements, plural countable nouns are usually not
preceded by determiners. The plural countable nouns in the following
general statements are underlined.
e.g.
Musicians must practise a great deal.
Newspapers can contain valuable information.
Larches are
conifers.
A general idea can often be expressed either by means of a singular
countable noun preceded by
a or
an, or by means of a plural
countable noun not preceded by a determiner. For instance, in each of
the following pairs of sentences, both sentences in the pair have the
same meaning.
Musicians must practise a great deal.
A musician must practise a great deal.
Newspapers can contain valuable information.
A newspaper can contain valuable information.
Larches are conifers.
A larch is a conifer.
See
Exercises 1,
2,
3 and
4.
b. Referring to something not mentioned before
Plural countable nouns are generally not preceded by a determiner when
referring to something not mentioned before.
e.g.
Branches blocked our path.
Clouds were gathering overhead.
Suddenly we saw
buildings in front of us.
In these examples, the plural nouns
branches,
clouds and
buildings
are not preceded by determiners. It is assumed that the branches,
clouds and buildings have not been referred to previously.
c. Naming a profession
When a sentence such as the following is used to name a profession
practised by two or more people, the name of the profession is in the
plural and is not preceded by a determiner.
e.g. They are
doctors.
My friends are
electricians.
We were
chefs.
2. The use of The before plural countable nouns
a. Referring to something mentioned before
In general,
the has the same meaning when used with plural countable
nouns as when used with singular countable nouns. For instance,
the
is used with plural countable nouns when referring to something which
has been mentioned before.
e.g. Fallen
leaves covered the ground.
The leaves rustled as we walked.
In the orchard were
apples and pears.
The apples were nearly ripe.
The doors opened, and
students and teachers began leaving the building.
The students were talking and laughing.
In these examples, the first time the words
leaves,
apples and
students appear, they are not preceded by determiners, because the
things referred to have not been mentioned previously. The second time
the words
leaves,
apples and
students appear, they are preceded by
the, since the things referred to have already been mentioned.
See
Exercise 5.
b. Referring to something when it is considered obvious what is meant
The is used with plural countable nouns when the speaker or writer
considers it obvious which particular persons or things are meant.
e.g.
The stars are shining brightly.
The roses are blooming.
We have put
the children to bed.
I was sitting on
the front steps.
These sentences give examples of the use of
the to refer to things
which are particularly important to the speaker or writer. The
expression
the stars usually refers to the stars which can be seen
from the part of the earth where one lives. The expression
the roses
might refer to roses in one's own garden, or to roses in which one feels
a particular interest.
The children might refer to one's own children
or to children for whom one is responsible.
The front steps might
refer to the front steps of one's own house.
c. Names of nationalities
The is sometimes used with the name of a nationality in order to make
a general statement about the people of that nationality. A plural verb
must be used in such a statement.
When the name of a nationality ends in the sound of
ch,
s,
sh or
z,
the name of the nationality must usually be preceded by
the.
| Nationality | Example |
| French | The French are famous for their fine wines. |
| Irish | The Irish are known as poets and songwriters. |
When the name of a nationality does not end in the sound of
ch,
s,
sh or
z, the letter
s must be added to the end of the name when it
is used in a general statement. Names of nationalities to which
s has
been added are often used without being preceded by
the.
| Nationality | Example |
| Argentinian | Argentinians like to eat beef. |
| Canadian | Canadians have a tradition of playing hockey. |
d. Adjectives referring to classes of people
Adjectives such as
rich and
poor can be used with
the in order to
refer to a group of people as a class. A plural verb must be used.
e.g.
The blind attend special schools.
The poor do not own their own homes.
The rich often married for money.
In the above examples,
the blind has the meaning of
blind people,
the poor has the meaning of
poor people, and
the rich has the
meaning of
rich people.
The following table summarizes the most important uses of the
determiners
a,
an, and
the with singular and plural countable
nouns.
The absence of a determiner and the use of
A, An and The before countable nouns
| Use | Singular Countable Nouns | Plural Countable Nouns |
| A weakened form of One | a/an | |
| Naming a profession | a/an | no determiner |
| Making a general statement | a/an | no determiner |
| Something not mentioned before | a/an | no determiner |
| Something referred to as a class | the | |
| Something mentioned before | the | the |
| When it is obvious what is meant | the | the |
| Nationalities ending in ch, se, sh | | the |
| Adjectives referring to classes of people | | the |
See
Exercise 6.
3. The use of The with proper nouns
a. Names of people
In English, names of people in the singular are not usually preceded by
a determiner.
e.g.
Washington was the first president of the United States.
Jack and
Eleanor saw the movie.
Determiners are also usually not used when a title precedes a person's name.
Doctor Defoe has a good reputation.
Mr. Carpenter is a friend of ours.
In these examples, the titles
Doctor and
Mr. are not preceded by
determiners.
However, names of people in the plural are usually preceded by
the.
e.g.
The Smiths live in that house.
I have known
the Harrisons for years.
b. Names of places
In English,
the is usually used before the following types of place
name:
Type of Place Name
canal
desert
ocean
river
sea
plural place names
place names containing the word
of
The following are examples of names of canals, deserts, oceans, rivers,
and seas:
e.g. the Panama Canal
the Mojave Desert
the Atlantic Ocean
the St. Lawrence River
the Beaufort Sea
The following are examples of plural place names:
e.g. the United States
the British Isles
the Great Lakes
the Rocky Mountains
The following are examples of place names containing the word
of:
e.g. the Gulf of Mexico
the Cape of Good Hope
the Bay of Biscay
the Isle of Wight
Other types of place name are usually
not preceded by determiners. For
instance, determiners are usually not used before the following types of
place name:
| Type of Place Name | Example |
| lake | Lake Superior |
| island | Manhattan Island |
| mountain | Mount Rainier |
| park | Yosemite National Park |
| city | Boston |
| street | Main Street |
| country | Canada |
| state | Kansas |
| province | Nova Scotia |
| county | Halifax County |
See
Exercise 7.
4. Nouns used only in the plural
Some English nouns are usually used only in the plural. Such nouns take
a plural verb, and generally have a plural form. For instance, the
following nouns, which all refer to objects with two parts, are usually
used only in the plural:
e.g. jeans
pajamas
pliers
scissors
If it is desired to refer to such objects individually, the expression
pair of is often used.
e.g. a pair of jeans
a pair of pajamas
a pair of pliers
a pair of scissors
When the expression
pair of is used as the subject of the verb, the
verb must agree with the word
pair.
e.g. Jeans
are fashionable.
A pair of jeans
is expensive.
Pliers
are very useful.
A pair of pliers
is often useful.
In the above examples, the nouns
jeans and
pliers take the plural
verb
are, and the noun
pair takes the singular verb
is.
See
Exercise 8.
