2021-04-30 ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด – A – amount & number

Revision A

2021-04-30

ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด – A – amount & number

แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น

ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค

Dictionary.com

ออกเสียง amount = ‘uh-MOUNT’

ออกเสียง number = ‘NUHM-ber’

Dictionary.com

WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH AMOUNT

The traditional distinction between amount and number

is that amount is used with mass or uncountablenouns

(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).

Dictionary.com

SYNONYMSTUDY FOR NUMBER

Number, sum

both imply the total of twoor more units.

Number applies to the result of a count or estimate

in which the units are considered as individuals;

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.

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.

Collins English Dictionary

Usage:

The use of a plural noun after amount of

(anamount of bananas; the amount of refugees) should be avoided:

a quantity of bananas; the number of refugees

Collins COBUILD English Usage

amount

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 or a 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

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary

Amount

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).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Amount vs. Number: Usage Guide

Noun

Number is regularly used with count nouns

a large number of mistakes

any number of times

while amount is mainly used with mass nouns.

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

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,

Number

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.

Common Errors In English Usage Dictionary

Amount & number

This is a vast subject.

I will try to limit the number of words I expend on it

so as not to use up too great an amount of space.

The confusion between the two categoriesof words

relating to amount and number is so pervasive

that those of us who still distinguish between them

constitute an endangered species;

but if you want to avoid our ire, learnthe difference.

Amount words relate to

quantities of things that are measured in bulk;

number to things that can be counted.

In the second sentence above,

it would have been improper to write “the amount of words”

because words are discrete entities which can be counted, or numbered.

Here is a handy chart to distinguish the two categories of words

amount     number

quantity        number

little               few

less                fewer

much             many

You can eat fewer cookies, but you drink lessmilk.

If you eat too many cookies,

people would probably think you’ve had too muchdessert.

If the thing being measured is being considered

in countable units, then use number words.

Even a substance which is considered in bulk

can also be measured by number of units.

For instance,

you shouldn’t drink too much wine,

but you should also avoid drinking too many glasses of wine.

Note thathere you are counting glasses.

They can be numbered.

The most common mistake of this kind

is to refer to an “amount” of people instead ofa “number” of people.

Just to confuse things, “more” can be used either way:

you can eat more cookies and drink moremilk

Dictionary of Problem Words in English

amount& number

Amount is used of things involving a unified mass

 – bulk, weight or sums.

In accounting, it has the same meaning as total;

generally, it is safe to use amount

to refer to anything which can be measured.

Numberis correctly used to refer to

anythingwhich can be counted in individual units.

“What is the amount of the bill?”

“He has left only a smallamount of food.”

“Joe has a number of old suits for sale.”