English is so simple - 5

Noun – Zone of Caution

Let us now deal with words whose meanings depend on their number or the form of number. We shall take them one by one.

Incorrect: The team members should listen to the advices given by the captain and the manager.

Here advice means counsel and should therefore not be used in the plural. If at all it is necessary to emphasise the plurality, use pieces of advice. Advices has a different meaning: information.

Correct: The team members should listen to the pieces of advice given by the captain and the manager.

Incorrect: Mrs. Gandhi was Rajiv’s mother. Sanjay was Mrs. Gandhi’s son. So Rajiv and Sanjay were brethren.

The above usage was correct in olden (another archaic usage) days when brethren was invariably the plural of brother. Now when we mean sons of the same parent, we use brothers. Brethren has a specific meaning: members of a society or a community.

Correct: Mrs. Gandhi was Rajiv’s mother. Sanjay was Mrs. Gandhi’s son. So Rajiv and Sanjay were brothers.

Incorrect: The cloths he wears are costly.

Now, one does not wear cloths but clothes. The former means kinds or pieces of cloth while the latter means arguments. So,

Correct: The clothes he wears are costly.

Incorrect: A realist sees a thing in its true colour.

The above sentence is wrong because so long we use colour, it means red, green, blue etc. So, if a thing is purple-red, all those who are not colour-blind, whether they be realist or not, will see it as purple-red. But when we mean appearance or aspect, as in the given sentence, we use the plural colours. The singular form is applicable only when it means hue, i.e. red, blue etc. But if we mean hues, we use colours.

Correct: A realist sees a thing in its true colours.

Incorrect: When we draw circle, you use a compass.

Now, compass means extent or range. The instrument for drawing circles has two legs and hence takes the plural form compasses.

Correct: When we draw circle, you use a compasses.

Incorrect: R Shakuntala, the custom official, virtually put an end to smuggling.

The government is not so interested that it would appoint an official to look after your custom which means habit. And even if such official is appointed, he or she will not be concerned with smuggling. The writer here means the official for customs, which means duties levied on imports. While meaning habits, custom may also be used in its plural for as customs.

Correct: R Shakuntala, the customs official, virtually put an end to smuggling.

Incorrect: Shakuni was an expert in the game of dies.

The plural of a die, when it means small cubes used in games, is dice. When we use dies, we mean stamps for coining. So,

Correct: Shakuni was an expert in the game of dice.

Incorrect: Force was brought in to curb the militant activities.

Here, the writer does not intend force as strength, the meaning given by the singular form. Since troops are being meant, plural forces will be appropriate.

Correct: Forces were brought in to curb the militant activities.

Incorrect: Inventions are made by genii.

The writer has erred in writing a plural form other than the one he intends. Certainly spirits (for that is what genii means) were not the makers of your pens or radios. Waterman and Marconi were persons of great talent or geniuses. So,

Correct: Inventions are made by geniuses.

1.      Good

·         Singular good means benefit or well-being.

·         Plural goods means movable property or merchandise.

2.      Ground

·         In singular it means earth. This meaning does not have a plural.

·         It also means reason in singular. The plural also holds good. Grounds means reasons.

·         Plural grounds also means enclosed land attached to house. This does not have a singular.

·         The sediment or dregs, in coffee for example, are also known as grounds. Here too the singular is not used.

3.      Index

·         When it means alphabetical lists of subjects etc. with references, given usually at the end of books, the plural used is indexes.

·         When it means signs used in algebra, the plural becomes indices.

4.      Iron

·         In singular it means a kind of metal.

·         In plural, irons means fetters made of iron.

5.      Letter

·         When it means a letter of the alphabet (a, b, c, d …. x, y, z) it has both singular and plural (letters) forms.

·         The two forms also supply when it means epistle.

·         When it means literature, only the plural is used. An erudite man is a man of letters, not a man of letter.

6.      Manner

·         Both forms are used in the sense of method.

·         Only plural manners is used for correct behavior.

7.      Means

·         Never think that it has a singular form mean. Mean is used in the sense of average, not extreme.

·         Means is used either as singular (the form is means) or plural when it implies way or method.

·         It is always plural when the meaning is wealth.

8.      Morals

·         Both forms are used when it means moral lesson.

·         When we talk of moral habits such as sexual conduct, only plural morals is used.

9.      Number

·         Both forms are used in the sense of quantity.

·         When it means verses, only plural numbers is used.

10.  Pain

·         When it means suffering, both forms are applicable.

·         Only plural pains is used when it means careful effort. Ex: The Indian team took pains to win the match.

11.  People

·         When it means nation, people is the singular and peoples the plural.

·         When it means men and women, only people is used. Though singular in form, it is used as plural.

12.  Physics

·         The singular form physic means art of healing or medical profession.

·         The plural form physics means a branch of science dealing with properties and interactions of matter and energy. Physics is usually treated as singular. When treated as plural, it means the properties and not the science.

13.  Practice

·         When it means habit, both the forms are applicable.

·         However, when it means exercise of a profession, only the singular is used.

14.  Quarter

·         Both the forms are used when it means fourth part.

·         Only plural quarters is used when it means lodgings.

15.  Respect

·         Singular respect means regard.

·         Plural respects means polite greetings.

16.  Spectacle

·         When it means sight, both forms are applicable.

·         When it means eye-glasses, only plural spectacles is used.

 Compiled By: Chaudhary Amit V.

Source: (Book: English made easy, Wren & Martin)