Plural Countable Nouns

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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 asthe 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.

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 beforeIn 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.

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 addedto 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 theAdjectives referring to classes of people the

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 placesIn 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 Statesthe 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 areusually 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 Kansasprovince Nova Scotia

county Halifax County

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 takesthe singular verb is.

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Plural Countable Nouns