Machinery and other uncountable nouns

SAMPLE 1: “For example, Bol gives loan for machineries and expansion and not for start-ups of new industries.”(Where is Bol’s N11 Billion Loan? The Nation, Sunday September 3, 2017)

We focus attention on the noun machineries which occurs in the phrase, “loan for machineries.” We note in particular that the word is in its plural form. Here lies the problem. As an uncountable/collective noun, the word cannot be pluralized as we have it in this excerpt. Many writers (and speakers) are not sure whether it should be regarded as a singular or plural noun. A discussion of the status of the word is presented as follows. Whether it is used denotatively (or literally) or connotatively (or figuratively), the noun machinery always occurs in the singular. It is poor grammar to use it in the plural as the writer has done.

Now read the following sentences: 1) The problem with African political leaders is that they always personalize the machinery of power. 2) Every institution must have machinery for resolving crises. 3) We are about to set machinery in motion for reconciling the warring factions of the party. 4) The opposition party accused the ruling party of abusing the machinery of government. 5) There is no need for setting up separate anti-corruption agencies, for the existing machinery of government should be enough to tackle corruption and related matters. 6) The tribunals and other judicial processes are an important part of the democratic machinery. 7) In consonance with its emphasis on technology, the company has spent millions of naira on importation of machinery. 8) The auditors queried the amount of money spent on the maintenance of machinery last year. 9) This section of the building houses the machinery. 10) The machinery is so sensitive that it has to be handled by extremely competent personnel. 11) Without electricity, the machinery is as good as useless. 12) In spite of the millions of naira spent on it, the machinery is grossly underutilized.

There are many uncountable nouns that usually confuse some Nigerian users of English.Many users do not know that the word information is an uncountable noun. Like other non-count (or uncountable) nouns, it has the following characteristics. It cannot become plural by the addition of –s. It is poor English to write or say: *informations. That form violates the rule that says that uncountable nouns should not be pluralized. Following from that rule is the fact that the word should not be modified by number: *one information; *two informations; *three informations, etc. These expressions are unacceptable in English. Furthermore, like every other uncountable noun, it should not be modified by the word many: *many informations. Again, this is poor English.

The following sentences illustrate the usage of the word information: 1) Information provides illumination for the mind. 2) With increased technology, information can be exchanged within seconds across the globe. 3) Those seeking information about our culture should be encouraged to interact with the people directly. 4) It is one thing to acquire information but it is another to be able to analyze it critically. 5) Spiritual information enlightens the soul; intellectual information illuminates the mind. 6) The undercover police have gathered information over the years on the dangerous drug cartel. 7) The time is not ripe for us to release the informationwe have on the suspect. 8) More information can be obtained from our website. 9) The chairman has evolved various means of obtaining information. 10) The information is as genuine as the source from which it is obtained. 11) A lot of information comes from the community involved. 12) We have acted on the pieces of information supplied by the people affected by the attack. 13) She does not have half of the information her husband has regarding the situation. 14) A device as small as the tip of a pin can hold a large amount of information. 15) All members of staff are to supply relevant pieces of information on their family background. 16) The form requires you to furnish five items of information. 17) Not much information is available from the office of the registrar. 18) I am interested as much in the quantity of information as in its quality. 19) We should be able to solve that problem with a little more information. 20) Given the fact that little information is available in the file, I have to rely on other sources of information. 21) The lecturer has some information for the class.

Readers should note that we have not pluralized the word in any of those sentences. But we have not hesitated to use quantifiers where necessary: half of; a large amount of; pieces of; some; much; little, etc. The choice of quantifiers does not change the singular nature of the word.

The word furniture is also usually used as an uncountable noun: 1) The new house is completely without furniture. 2) The furniture for all the houses will be supplied later in the year. 3) Who pays for the furniture: the company or the worker? 4) The furniture is dirty and threadbare. 5) We will all have our furniture replaced at the end of the year. 6) I don’t have enough money to buy new furniture now. 7) The house was flooded and the furniture was largely damaged. 8) The table and chair and other pieces of furniture are being repaired by the carpenter. 9) When you have saved enough money you can think of replacing the furniture in your house. 10) Those items of furniture are a gift from the manager. 11) Kitchen furniture is usually made by highly skilled and specially trained furniture-makers. 12) To all intents and purposes, coffins, weird as they are, are pieces of furniture. 13) The company spends huge sums of money on furniture every year. 14) Those pieces of furniture are still useful; you can refurbish and retain them. 15) You are free to pay for the furniture in installments. 16) For me, the house is more important than the furniture. 17) The man is planning to sell his furniture since he is likely to be away for a couple of years. 18) Badly made furniture depreciates rapidly. 19) The government is planning to ban importation of furniture. 20) Those items of furniture are not as expensive as you probably imagine.

Readers should please note that I have not pluralized the word furniture in any of those sentences. That word should never be pluralized. Do not say: I love beautiful *furnitures; Those *furnitures are expensive; I want to spend some money on *furnitures; My father is planning to change our *furnitures; I am planning to sell two of my *furnitures; We have not moved into the house because we have not bought new *furnitures; Our neighbours gave us three *furnitures; etc.

Each of those sentences is defective because it contains the word furniture used in its plural form. The word should never be used in its plural form.

Another example of uncountable nouns is advice. It also shares all the characteristics of uncountable nouns identified earlier, particularly the fact that they cannot be pluralized or pre-modified by numbers. The following sentences illustrate the of the word advice: 1) If you have any problem with registration matters, please seek advice from the relevant office. 2) My advice to young people is that they should not be in a hurry to acquire wealth. 3) Children should cultivate the habit of heeding their parents’ advice. 4) She ran into problem because she didn’t heed her husband’s advice. 5) God’s words do not come in the form of advice; they come in the form of commandments. 6) Teachers are in the best position to give advice to their students. 7) Wrong advice is often more damaging than the lack of it. 8) I have learnt from my childhood to be conscious of my father’s advice. 9) Pieces of advice from parents and neighbours help the African child to grow into a morally healthy adult. 10) The situation is becoming so complex that you may need to seek legal advice. 11) Early medical advice can prevent a medical condition from going out of hand. 12) A piece of advice given at the appropriate time may be worth more than millions of naira. 13) I am most grateful to you for that precious advice. 14) Developing nations need to seek advice from the technologically advanced nations. 15) The advice you gave me more than twenty years ago is still very useful. 16) What seems like a totally stupid piece of advice may have its own uses.

Please note that in none of those sentences have we used the word advice in the plural. We have deliberately avoided saying:  one advice; an advice; two advices; some advices; etc

There is the verb-form, advise, which time and space will not allow us to discuss today.