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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Uncountable nouns.    

Uncountable nouns.



liewsusfah
Malaysia

Uncountable nouns.
 

If we can�t use a for uncountable nouns like: water, advice etc, etc.

How about sentences below?

(a) It�s a real bad news to everyone here.

(b) I�d like to make an announcement.

May someone enlighten me, pls?

18 Jun 2013      





almaz
United Kingdom

a) news is also uncountable
b) announcement isn �t

Interestingly, news was, as you probably suspected, originally plural - meaning �new things � (cf. nouvelles in French) - but, like measles and physics etc, is treated nowadays as a singular.

19 Jun 2013     



hardcase
France

I would even say �It is really bad news..... � as the other way seems a bit familiar to me...BUT you can say �The news is really bad.... � cheers.

19 Jun 2013     



MoodyMoody
United States

Remember, "a" or "an" means one, and if you use one, you have to count. almaz is correct that news is non-count. Sometimes nouns that are count in other languages are non-count in English.

19 Jun 2013     



liewsusfah
Malaysia

Thanks for all the suggestions.

20 Jun 2013