Sep 12, 2008 11:00
15 yrs ago
English term
types of ....
Non-PRO
English
Other
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
Grammar-related
I wanted to know the correct form (singular/plural) of the noun to be used after "Types of ....", for example do we say "Types of books" and "Types of birds", or is it "Types of book" and "Types of bird"? I was almost certain about using the plural form of nouns after "Types of...", until one of my clients pointed out otherwise. Could anyone please give concrete examples and references.
Thank you!!!
Thank you!!!
Responses
| 4 +6 | use plural form for countable nouns |
Ken Cox
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| 4 +2 | plural |
Egil Presttun
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| 4 +2 | Depends (countable/ uncountable words) |
Nesrin
|
Responses
+6
7 mins
Selected
use plural form for countable nouns
Maybe your client was confused by the fact that some nouns in English do not have an 's' in the plural form, or the distinction between countable nouns and mass nouns.
Thus: types of horses, types of houses, types of fish, types of fruit, types of poetry, types of software, etc.
Thus: types of horses, types of houses, types of fish, types of fruit, types of poetry, types of software, etc.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+2
5 mins
plural
Types of birds
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Note added at 8 mins (2008-09-12 11:09:03 GMT)
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"Describes the different types of birds according to taxonomic categories..."
http://birding.about.com/od/profilesofbirdspecies/Types_of_B...
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Note added at 8 mins (2008-09-12 11:09:03 GMT)
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"Describes the different types of birds according to taxonomic categories..."
http://birding.about.com/od/profilesofbirdspecies/Types_of_B...
+2
13 mins
Depends (countable/ uncountable words)
In most cases, as in the examples you've mentioned, it would have to be plural. But there are cases where the singular would be possible or even necessary, e.g (these are examples found by typing "types of" in Google):
Types of treatment
Types of aid
Types of government
Types of cancer
Types of metal
Types of insulation
So your client may have been referring to such a case.
Types of treatment
Types of aid
Types of government
Types of cancer
Types of metal
Types of insulation
So your client may have been referring to such a case.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Ken Cox
: all good examples (no wonder it took you longer ;-) )
38 mins
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Thanks :-D
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| agree |
Sheila Wilson
: plural for countable; necessarily singular for uncountable (including "types of news"!)
52 mins
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