The following words cause a lot of trouble for people learning English ESL Collective Nouns: Furniture, Slang, Vocabulary, Staff, Cutlery, Advice and Scenery. They are often misspelt as Slangs and Vocabularies.
2. Collective nouns are used
to name a collection ofto name a collection of
similar things.
The collective noun itself is usuallyThe collective noun itself is usually
treated as an uncountable noun
so it cannot be used in plural form.
3. Furnitures -> FurnitureFurnitures > Furniture
Objects found in a room that make it suitable
for living – tables, chairs, sofa, couch,for living tables, chairs, sofa, couch,
A piece of furniture - Antique furniture –
Office furniture
4. FurnitureFurniture
The items in the collection are countable
(one sofa, two chairs) but the collective noun is
uncountable. two furnitures IS WRONG
You can use quantifiers:
There is a lot of furniture in the house.
There isn’t much furniture in the room.
There isn’t any furniture in the houseThere isn t any furniture in the house.
5. VOCABULARIES ->
VOCABULARY
ALL THE WORDS A PERSON KNOWS IN A
PARTICULAR LANGUAGE
I have a wide vocabulary
HE HAS A LIMITED VOCABULARYHE HAS A LIMITED VOCABULARY
READING INCREASES YOUR VOCABULARY
FRENCH VOCABULARY
I learnt 20 new words which
increased my vocabulary
6. Slangs -> SlangSlangs > Slang
Very informal words and expressionsVery informal words and expressions
that are more common in spoken
English and used by a particular group
of people such as teenagers
Slang word
Slang expression
Teenage slangTeenage slang
Australian slang
7. Staffs -> StaffStaffs > Staff
all the workers employed in a shopall the workers employed in a shop
or business
Male staff members
Customer Service staffCustomer Service staff
One of our staff can help you
8.
9. Cutleries -> CutleryCutleries > Cutlery
Cutlery is a collection ofCutlery is a collection of
knives, forks and spoons,
used for eating and serving food.
cutlerystainless steel cutlery set
Put the cutlery in the drawerPut the cutlery in the drawer
11. SOFTWARES -> SOFTWARESOFTWARES > SOFTWARE
All the programs apps and utilitiesAll the programs, apps and utilities
installed ON YOUR COMPUTER
MY COMPUTER HAS A LOT OF
SOFTWARE INSTALLEDSOFTWARE INSTALLED.
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE.
12. ADVICES -> ADVICEADVICES > ADVICE
An opinion or suggestion ABOUT WHATAn opinion or suggestion ABOUT WHAT
SOMEONE SHOULD DO IN A PARTICULAR
SITUATION
MY ADVICE
A PIECE OF ADVICEA PIECE OF ADVICE
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
ASK YOUR TEACHER’S ADVICE
13. SCENERIES -> SCENERYSCENERIES > SCENERY
The natural features of an area SUCHThe natural features of an area SUCH
AS MOUNTAINS, VALLEYS, RIVERS, OCEAN,
COAST
The scenery is MAGNIFICENT
A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL SCENERY INA LOT OF BEAUTIFUL SCENERY IN
TASMANIA.
ENJOY THE SCENERY!