During a visit to a supermarket in Arepo, Ogun State, I overheard a conversation between a customer and a cashier. The customer mentioned she had ‘five soaps’ along with other items she was purchasing. While the cashier seemed unfazed by the statement, I couldn’t help but notice the grammatical error. By referring to ‘soap’ as countable in this context, the customer had unknowingly made a common mistake. This oversight may have arisen from the fact that all the soap she bought belonged to the same brand. I chose not to intervene, considering various factors including the possibility of her having a soldier husband waiting outside.
In informal settings like this, such grammatical nuances may not always be worth pointing out. However, it is crucial to uphold proper language usage, especially in formal situations where using terms like ‘five soaps’ or ‘five ice creams’ could lead to embarrassment or misunderstandings. For instance, saying ‘I feel uncomfortable because I consumed five ice creams yesterday’ could be better phrased as ‘I consumed five tubs/cups of ice cream’ to convey the intended meaning accurately.
Measure words
English has numerous uncountable nouns that should not be pluralized. When specifying quantities for such nouns, the use of ‘measure words’ becomes essential. These terms help indicate quantity when dealing with uncountable nouns that represent a collective or mass. Examples of uncountable nouns include soap, ice cream, beer, news, rice, water, furniture, homework, and traffic. While some of these nouns may become countable in certain contexts, employing measure terms such as ‘a bar of,’ ‘a box of,’ ‘a bowl of,’ ‘a bottle of,’ etc., is necessary to quantify them appropriately.
Several uncountable nouns include water, rice, cement, gold, milk, advice, information, progress, news, luck, fun, work, weather, thunder, lightning, rain, snow, furniture, equipment, rubbish, luggage, accommodation, baggage, homework, knowledge, money, permission, research, traffic, and travel.
Consider the following examples showcasing the correct use of measure terms:
– Incorrect: ‘I took five amalas at the restaurant.’
– Correct: ‘I took five wraps of amala at the restaurant.’
– Incorrect: ‘Give me 10 chocolate(s).’
– Correct: ‘Give me 10 bars of chocolate.’
‘Soap’ as a verb
It’s worth noting that ‘soap’ can also function as a verb, indicating the action of rubbing, applying, or putting soap onto something. For instance:
– From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
‘I soap my hair first when I take a shower.’
‘He soaped and rinsed the car.’
– From Oxford Dictionary:
‘Have you soaped yourself all over, Alice?’
‘Let me soap your back.’