2020-11-16
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด N – number & number of verb & amount
การใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ ที่ถือว่า ถูกต้องนี้ เป็นไปตามมาตรฐานการใช้ภาษา
การใช้คำอังกฤษ ไม่กำหนดมาตฐาน ถือตามส่วนใหญ่ที่ใช้แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจยืดหยุ่น ขึ้นอยู่กับ ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง number = ‘NUHM-ber’
ออกเสียง Amount = ‘uh-MOUNT’
Dictionary.com
SYNONYM STUDY FOR NUMBER
Number, sum both imply the total of two or more units.
Number applies to the result of a count or estimate
in which the units are considered asindividuals;
it is used of groups of persons or things:
to have a number of items on the agenda.
Sum applies to the result of addition,
in which only the total is considered: a large sum of money.
Dictionary.com
GRAMMAR NOTES FOR NUMBER
As a collective noun, number,
when preceded by a, is most often treated as a plural:
A number of legislators have voiced their dissent.
When preceded by the, it is usually used as a singular:
The number of legislators present was small.
See also collective noun.
Dictionary.com
WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH AMOUNT
The traditional distinction between amount and number
is that amount is used with mass or uncountable nouns
(the amount of paperwork; the amount of energy)
and number with countable nouns
(a number of songs; a number of days).
Although objected to,
the use of amount instead of number with countable nouns
occurs in both speech and writing,
especially when the noun can be considered as a unit or group
(the amount of people present; the amount of weapons)
or when it refers to money
(the amount of dollars paid; the amount of pennies in the till).
COLLINS ENGLISH DICTIONARY
USAGE FOR AMOUNT
The use of a plural noun after amount of
(an amount of bananas; the amount of refugees) should be avoided:
a quantity of bananas; the number of refugees
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Amount vs. Number: Usage Guide
Noun
Number is regularly used with countnouns
a large number of mistakes
any number of times
while amount is mainly used with massnouns.
annual amount of rainfall
a substantial amount of money
The use of amount with count nouns has been frequently criticized;
it usually occurs when the number of things is thought of
as a mass or collection
glad to furnish any amount of black pebbles — New Yorker
a substantial amount of film offers — Lily Tomlin
or when money is involved.
a substantial amount of loans — E. R. Black
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary
usage:
The traditional distinction between amount and number
is that amount is used with mass or uncountable nouns
(the amount of paperwork; the amount of energy)
and number with countable nouns
(a number of songs; a number of days).
Although objected to,
the use of amount instead of number with countable nouns occurs
in both speech and writing,
esp. when the noun can be considered as a unit or group
(the amount of people present; the amount of weapons)
or when it refers to money
(the amount of dollars paid; the amount of pennies in the till).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language
num′ber·er n.
Usage Note:
As a collective noun number may take either a singular or a plural verb.
It takes a singular verb when it is preceded by the definite article the:
The number of skilled workers is increasing.
It takes a plural verb when preceded by the indefinite article a:
A number of the workers have learned new skills.
Collins COBUILD English Usage
An amount of something
is how much of it you have, need, or get.
They measured the amount of salt lost in sweat.
I was horrified by the amount of work I had to do.
You can talk about a large amount ora small amount.
Don't talk about a 'big amount' or a 'little amount'.
Use only a small amount of water at first.
The army gave out large amounts of food.
When you use amount in the plural, you use a plural verb with it.
For example,
you say 'Large amounts of money were wasted'.
Don't say 'Large amounts of money was wasted'.
Increasing amounts of force are necessary.
Very large amounts of money are required.
Be Careful!
Don't talk about an 'amount' of things or people.
For example,
don't say 'There was an amount of chairs in the room'.
You say 'There were a number of chairs in the room'.
When you use number like this, you use a plural verb with it.
A number of offers were received.
See number
Common Errors In English Usage Dictionary
NUMBERS
If your writing contains numbers,
the general rule is to spell out in letters allthe numbers from zero to nine and use numerals for larger numbers;
but there are exceptions.
If what you’re writing is full of numbers
and you’re doing math with them, stick withnumerals.
Approximations like “about thirty days ago”
and catch-phrases like “his first thousand days” are spelled out.
Large round numbers are often rendered thus: “50 billion sold.”
With measurements, use numerals: “4 inches long.”
Never start a sentence with a numeral.
Either spell out the number involved
or rearrange the sentence to move the number to a later position.
NUMBER OF VERB
In long, complicated sentences,
people often lose track of whether the subject is singular or plural
and use the wrong sort of verb.
“The ultimate effect of all of these phone calls to the detectives were to make them suspicious of the callers” is an error
because “effect,” which is singular, is the subject.
If you are uncertain about whether to gowith singular or plural
condense the sentence down to its skeleton:
“The effect . . . was to make them suspicious.”
Another situation that creates confusion
is the use of interjections
like “along with,” “as well as,” and “together with,”
where they are often treated improperly
as if they meant simply “and.”
“Aunt Hilda, as well as her pet dachshund, is coming to the party” (not “are coming”).
