What's the difference?
I like chicken / I like chickens

    First, some words you need to know:

    • SINGULAR　−　単数
    • PLURAL　−　複数
    • COUNTABLE 　−　数えられる
    • UNCOUNTABLE　−　数えられない

    In one of my classes we are currently talking about likes and dislikes. Sometimes I hear students asking questions like this:

    • Do you like dog?
    • Do you like hamburger?

    Do you understand what is wrong with these sentences? Well, the questions should be:

    • Do you like dogs?
    • Do you like hamburgers?

    Why do we use the plural? Well, if we are talking about general likes and dislikes, the noun after like should be:

      If it's a COUNTABLE noun, use a PLURAL form.
      If it's an UNCOUNTABLE noun, use a SINGULAR form.

    Of course, if we are talking about a particular dog, we can say:

    • Do you like this dog?

    but if we are talking about dogs, in general, we should say:

    • Do you like dogs?

    QUESTION:
    Look at these two sentences:

    • I really love classical music.
    • I don't like horror movies very much.

    Why do we use the singular form for classical music and the plural form for horror movies?

    ANSWER
    Quite simply, because music is uncountable and movies are countable - we can say one movie, two movies, three movies etc.

    In the next section, we will see a list of some of the typical countable and uncountable words which are often used when we talk about likes and dislikes.

    USE SINGULAR NOUNS FOR MUSIC & SPORT:
    • I really enjoy listening to classical music.
    • I don't like pop music so much.
    • I don't like soccer, but I do like rugby

    BUT...
    USE PLURAL NOUNS FOR THE ITEMS BELOW

    MOVIES & TV SHOWS:

    • I like game shows / variety shows / comedy films.
    • I don't like documentaries / thrillers / cartoons.
    • I can't stand westerns / soap operas.

    CLOTHES:

    • I like (wearing) T-shirts / casual clothes / funny hats.
    • I don't like (wearing) business suits / uniforms.

    READING & LISTENING MATERIAL:

    • I like books / newspapers / magazines.
    • I enjoy reading books / watching videos / listening to CDs.
      (*But I like television / radio)

    PEOPLE & ANIMALS:

    • I like dogs / babies / children.
    • I don't like cats / rabbits / mice.

    HOW TO TALK ABOUT THE FOOD WE LIKE

    Talking about the food we like can be a bit tricky, especially when we talk about fruit and vegetables. We tend to use singular with some fruit and vegetables and plural with others. Here are some examples:

    VEGETABLES:

    • I like potatoes / carrots / tomatoes / radishes / mushrooms / peas / beans / chilli peppers / artichokes / onions.

      BUT...

    • I like lettuce / cabbage / celery / broccoli / cauliflower / spinach / asparagus / sweet corn / garlic.

    FRUIT:

    • I like apples / oranges / tangerines / pears / bananas / peaches / plums / strawberries /raspberries / cherries / mangos / grapes.

      BUT (USUALLY)...

    • I like melon / watermelon/ pineapple.

    There is an element of case-by-case here, I think. But it also seems to me that there is a tendency to use the plural form with smaller fruits and vegetables, and singular/ uncountable form with larger ones.

    Another way to think of it is like this: smaller fruits and vegetables like apples, oranges, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes are often eaten whole (丸ごと) by just one individual. Larger fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, watermelon etc. are often cut up and shared by a number of people.

    Something similar happens with seafood. We tend to say:

    • I like prawns / oysters.

      BUT:

    • I like squid / octopus.

    Again, prawns and oysters are often eaten whole, but squid and octopus are usually cut up and shared.

    AND FINALLY...
       THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN:
           "I LIKE CHICKEN" and I LIKE CHICKENS...

    Meat is usually uncountable:

    • I like beef / chicken / lamb / pork / ham / bacon.

    With meat, we need to be careful.

    • "I LIKE CHICKEN / I LIKE LAMB" refers to MEAT.
    • "I LIKE CHICKENS / I LIKE LAMBS" refers to the live animal.

    Therefore, when you are talking about pets, be sure to say "I like dogs / I like cats." If you say "I like dog" or "I like cat," it will make them sound like food.

Exercise

    One way to practise this countable / uncountable difference is simply to get together with some friends and ask questions like these:

    • What kind of music do you like?
    • Which sports do you like?
    • What kind of movies and TV programmes do you like?
    • What sort of clothes do you like wearing?
    • What's your favourite fruit?
    • What's your favourite vegetable?
    • Which do you like better, octopus or prawns?

    Conversational tip:
    When my students practise questions like these, I encourage them to do it like this:

      A: What kind of movies do you like?
      B: I like horror films. How about YOU? What kind of movies do YOU like?
      A: I like comedies.

    Notice that when Speaker B asks A the same question, he or she stresses the YOU or YOUR word.

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    © Robert E. Jones, 2004