Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

Junkomama · Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 592

Hello, teachers.
Which one is correct?

1. It is good to recicle newspapers.
2. It is good to recycle newspaper.

Is "newspaper" a countable noun even when it becomes wastepaper after you have read it?

Thank you in advance!
Junkomama

myprofe · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:04 am Post subject: recycle

It's good to recyle newspaper, a cheap paper made from wood pulp and used for printing newspapers.
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I'm never going to learn if you don't correct my mistakes!

Junkomama · Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 592

Hello, myprofe-san.
Thank you so much for your answer!!
You wrote "a cheap paper".(You used "a" before "paper".) That's because you refer to a specific kind of paper?

Regards,
Junkomama

myprofe · Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:15 pm Post subject: a cheap kind of paper

Yes, that's true. I took the definition from a dictionary and didn't notice that it could be confusing.
_________________
I'm never going to learn if you don't correct my mistakes!

Junkomama · Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 592

Thank you again, myprofe-san!

Regards,
Junkomama

buddhaheart · Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:21 pm Post subject:

If you look up any lexicon, you�ll find one of the meanings of the word �newspaper� given as �the paper making up a newspaper� or �the printed sheets making up a newspaper� from that you can infer the noun is countable.

The fact that all newspapers become �wastepaper� (uncountable noun) after you read them is immaterial. That�s, the countability of a noun depends on what it is and as is and not what it may become after it�s being used or exploited.