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chickenpie
Joined: 24 Dec 2008
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 Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:02 am Post subject: Quick grammar question? |
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In the following sentence why is vegetables countable and fruit uncountable?
"I eat a lot of fruit but I don't eat green vegetables."
My co-teacher is asking me I don't really know how to explain this.
Thank you. |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:15 am Post subject: Re: Quick grammar question? |
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| chickenpie wrote: |
In the following sentence why is vegetables countable and fruit uncountable?
"I eat a lot of fruit but I don't eat green vegetables."
My co-teacher is asking me I don't really know how to explain this.
Thank you. |
Look at it this way "I eat a lot of red fruits, but I don't eat green vegetables"
In your sentence you are talking about fruit in general, while the vegetables are different types.
probably not explained very well but thats my understanding |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:25 am Post subject: |
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In my speech, fruit is not countable. Vegetable is countable. I have heard people say it differently without a problem. Like I said, it is just my speech. It depends on the person and their linguistic background.
You also need that comma before the conjunction linking two independent clauses. |
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bundangbabo
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:40 am Post subject: |
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Fruit is countable - it isn't common but for example
'fruits of the forest'
And 'vegetable' can be non-countable sometimes such as
'vegetable soup' (as a chef - I know there is more than one vegetable in the making of the soup) |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:42 am Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
In my speech, fruit is not countable. Vegetable is countable. I have heard people say it differently without a problem. Like I said, it is just my speech. It depends on the person and their linguistic background.
You also need that comma before the conjunction linking two independent clauses. |
That's probably a better explanation, just tell the co-T that fruit is non-count and vege is count, it's just one of those things that makes English special.
like a "mentally challanged" kid  |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:46 am Post subject: |
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| bundangbabo wrote: |
Fruit is countable - it isn't common but for example
'fruits of the forest'
And 'vegetable' can be non-countable sometimes such as
'vegetable soup' (as a chef - I know there is more than one vegetable in the making of the soup) |
I'm not an English major but I'm not sure you are right in your examples.
in your first example you are talking about different types of fruits.
your second example vegetable is being used as a adjective not a noun |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:48 am Post subject: |
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| blackjack wrote: |
| bundangbabo wrote: |
Fruit is countable - it isn't common but for example
'fruits of the forest'
And 'vegetable' can be non-countable sometimes such as
'vegetable soup' (as a chef - I know there is more than one vegetable in the making of the soup) |
I'm not an English major but I'm not sure you are right in your examples.
in your first example you are talking about different types of fruits.
your second example vegetable is being used as a adjective not a noun |
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chickenpie
Joined: 24 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:54 am Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
In my speech, fruit is not countable. Vegetable is countable. I have heard people say it differently without a problem. Like I said, it is just my speech. It depends on the person and their linguistic background.
You also need that comma before the conjunction linking two independent clauses. |
This sentence if from the current Middle School English 1 page 76 (Ja Sup So) self study book.
You know how Koreans get with wanting to know about grammar! |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:06 am Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
| blackjack wrote: |
| bundangbabo wrote: |
Fruit is countable - it isn't common but for example
'fruits of the forest'
And 'vegetable' can be non-countable sometimes such as
'vegetable soup' (as a chef - I know there is more than one vegetable in the making of the soup) |
I'm not an English major but I'm not sure you are right in your examples.
in your first example you are talking about different types of fruits.
your second example vegetable is being used as a adjective not a noun |
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Does that mean I was right or wrong? |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| blackjack wrote: |
| losing_touch wrote: |
| blackjack wrote: |
| bundangbabo wrote: |
Fruit is countable - it isn't common but for example
'fruits of the forest'
And 'vegetable' can be non-countable sometimes such as
'vegetable soup' (as a chef - I know there is more than one vegetable in the making of the soup) |
I'm not an English major but I'm not sure you are right in your examples.
in your first example you are talking about different types of fruits.
your second example vegetable is being used as a adjective not a noun |
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Does that mean I was right or wrong? |
It sounded pretty reasonable to me. |
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bundangbabo
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:21 am Post subject: |
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| blackjack wrote: |
| bundangbabo wrote: |
Fruit is countable - it isn't common but for example
'fruits of the forest'
And 'vegetable' can be non-countable sometimes such as
'vegetable soup' (as a chef - I know there is more than one vegetable in the making of the soup) |
I'm not an English major but I'm not sure you are right in your examples.
in your first example you are talking about different types of fruits.
your second example vegetable is being used as a adjective not a noun |
If you however say 'I eat a lot of fruit' you are talking about eating different kinds of fruit? I am just saying that 'fruits' is sometimes used as countable noun - Its not common I know but I used an example where this is the case.
'vegeatble soup' It is a noun being used as an adjective in this paticular case - however 'vegetable' is a noun (a person, place or thing)
If you were teaching this grammar point to a Korean - you wouldn't say 'vegetable' was an adjective would you?  You would tell them (I hope) that nouns can be used as adjectives - but it is still a noun.
Thank you - You're Welcome! |
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losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| bundangbabo wrote: |
'vegeatble soup' It is a noun being used as an adjective in this paticular case - however 'vegetable' is a noun (a person, place or thing)
If you were teaching this grammar point to a Korean - you wouldn't say 'vegetable' was an adjective would you?
Thank you - You're Welcome! |
I would explain in with another example. Green is usually considered to be an adjective. In golf, 'green' has another meaning and is used as a noun. 'Greens' can also refer to vegetables. |
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bundangbabo
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:29 am Post subject: |
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| blackjack wrote: |
| losing_touch wrote: |
| blackjack wrote: |
| bundangbabo wrote: |
Fruit is countable - it isn't common but for example
'fruits of the forest'
And 'vegetable' can be non-countable sometimes such as
'vegetable soup' (as a chef - I know there is more than one vegetable in the making of the soup) |
I'm not an English major but I'm not sure you are right in your examples.
in your first example you are talking about different types of fruits.
your second example vegetable is being used as a adjective not a noun |
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Does that mean I was right or wrong? |
I think you need to go back and read a bit more on the subject before trying to look a smart arse!  |
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bundangbabo
Joined: 01 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:32 am Post subject: |
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| losing_touch wrote: |
| bundangbabo wrote: |
'vegeatble soup' It is a noun being used as an adjective in this paticular case - however 'vegetable' is a noun (a person, place or thing)
If you were teaching this grammar point to a Korean - you wouldn't say 'vegetable' was an adjective would you?
Thank you - You're Welcome! |
I would explain in with another example. Green is usually considered to be an adjective. In golf, 'green' has another meaning and is used as a noun. 'Greens' can also refer to vegetables. |
Can adjectives be used as nouns? Most certainly. |
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Straphanger
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Chilgok, Korea
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:27 am Post subject: |
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It's a conversational vs. proper English problem (Warriner's differentiate's between them). Fruits is the plural of fruit. Tell her, for the same reason, people is not the plural of person. Persons is the plural of person. People is singular. Peoples is the plural.
When I get questions like this, I tell them the 'proper' English way, but nobody talks that way. |
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