Cards

[irmamar]

My book says that "cards" is an uncount noun ending in -s, but I'm not sure its meaning. When I look for it in Wordreference, the only thing I see uncountable is with the meaning of "cartulina", but there's no -s in card. And card as carta (de juego) is countable.

By the way, why is marked "uncount" in red? My book says "uncount nouns" or "mass nouns". Isn't this word correct? :thinking:

Thanks. :)

[Perikles]

You can have a game of cards (naipes).

Yesterday, I played bridge with some friends, which is a game of cards played by four people. (Actually, this is true - I did. - And bridge is a fantastic game).

There are 52 cards in a pack (baraja) of bridge cards. :)

[laepelba]

And I often have cards at my house. That is to say that my friends come over and we play pinochle.

[irmamar]

Pero los naipes son contables. :thinking:

[Perikles]

True. I can't think what your book could mean with 'cards' as uncountable, unless in the expression I play cards, cards counts as an uncountable noun. It would be different if you said I play with cards - here they are countable. :thinking:

[pjt33]

¿Hay algunas pistas del contexto?

[irmamar]

Right nown I don't have any example of this word. Let me advance for if I find some example.

[Ambarina]

My book says that "cards" is an uncount noun ending in -s, but I'm not sure its meaning. When I look for it in Wordreference, the only thing I see uncountable is with the meaning of "cartulina", but there's no -s in card. And card as carta (de juego) is countable.

By the way, why is marked "uncount" in red? My book says "uncount nouns" or "mass nouns". Isn't this word correct? :thinking:

Thanks. :)

Cuando se refiere al juego de naipes, "Cards" es incontable y por lo tanto no podrías decir "I play card on Saturday night with my friends". Como en Castellano, se usa la forma "plural"(entendiéndose que aquí "cards" no es estrictamente plural): Juego a las cartas con mis amigos/I play cards with my friends.

Si te refieres a la baraja sería a "pack/deck of cards" y aquí "cards" es contable ya que, como dijiste anteriormente, las cartas/los naipes se pueden contar: give me one card, two cards, three cards, etc.

[pjt33]

Right nown I don't have any example of this word. Let me advance for if I find some example.
Me refería a, por ejemplo, si el capítulo del libro tiene algún tema (quizás el ocio).

[CrOtALiTo]

The word make come to the mind that cards could some kind to game in the casino.

[irmamar]

Me refería a, por ejemplo, si el capítulo del libro tiene algún tema (quizás el ocio).

This is a grammar section, just mass nouns. There are another ones (bowls, classics, darts, draughts, etc.). That is, uncount nouns ending in -s.

[laepelba]

This is a grammar section, just mass nouns. There are another ones (bowls, classics, darts, draughts, etc.). That is, uncount nouns ending in -s.

Not sure about some of those. Maybe I don't understand exactly how they're "uncount" nouns.......

[irmamar]

Tea, milk, etc. are uncount nouns.

[laepelba]

Right - I get that. In fact, I am fairly sure what noncount nouns are. But I don't know that I would agree with "bowls, darts, droughts" specifically.....

[irmamar]

There are several: linguistics, mathematics, measles, mumps, physics, rickets. I have to get them into groups, depending on its subject, but it's not important. I think I understand that darts or cards are uncount nouns when you're playing with them (though I can count them).

[laepelba]

If you're looking to organize them, try this website: http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/nouns/noncount.htm - it's a little elementary in its layout, but has specific groups of noncount nouns with multiple examples of each.

[Perikles]

Right - I get that. In fact, I am fairly sure what noncount nouns are. But I don't know that I would agree with "bowls, darts, droughts" specifically.....I see what is happening - Clearly in the singular, these nouns are countable, because you can have one or several cards, bowls, darts and draughts (don't you say checkers?:D).

But in the plural used as a (singular) game, these words are classified as uncountable. :thinking::)

Edit:
I like playing tennis
I like playing chess
(both definitely uncountable)
I like playing cards .....

[irmamar]

But are they plural nouns really? I mean, I use them with the verb in singular: linguistics is a subject.

[laepelba]

I see what is happening - Clearly in the singular, these nouns are countable, because you can have one or several cards, bowls, darts and draughts (don't you say checkers?:D).

But in the plural used as a (singular) game, these words are classified as uncountable. :thinking::)

Edit:
I like playing tennis
I like playing chess
(both definitely uncountable)
I like playing cards .....

I'll give you "darts" as the name of the game and a noncount noun. "Let's play a game of darts." Singular, yet with an "s". But I still don't like "bowls" or "droughts". (I'm quoting Irmamar here, and she used "droughts", which I take to mean lack of water for a period of time. In BrE, "draught" means what we call "draft" in AmE.)

But are they plural nouns really? I mean, I use them with the verb in singular: linguistics is a subject.

I agree! Linguistics, Economics, etc. They are NOT plural nouns. I can take a class in linguistics or economics. I don't know that I could imagine an instance for using the word "linguistic" or "economic" as a noun. (They ARE adjectives, though.)

[Perikles]

But are they plural nouns really? I mean, I use them with the verb in singular: linguistics is a subject.No, I don't think so. I would say Cards are great fun. So are bowls. :thinking: