count/non-count

English grammar questions, answered by Alan

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Rustamsher
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count/non-count

Post by Rustamsher »

Hello, Alan:

1 (a) Please apologize if what I said is a nonsense.
(b) Please apologize if what I said is nonsense.
2 (a) Whatever he talks is a nonsense.
(b) Whatever he talks is nonsense.
3 (a) The government's housing policy is a nonsense.
(b) The government's housing policy is nonsense.
4 (a) She thinks that astrology is a nonsense.
(b) She thinks that astrology is nonsense.

The sentences #3(a) and #4(b)are from a dictionary.
Should I treat the word - 'nonsense' as a countable noun or as an uncountable one?

Many thanks.
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Alan
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Re: count/non-count

Post by Alan »

Both are possible, although it occurs more commonly as non-count.
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