With what words are collective numerals used: girls, dogs, house, kittens, scissors, sleighs? - briefly
Collective numerals are used with the words "girls," "dogs," and "kittens." For inanimate objects such as "houses" and "scissors," as well as vehicles like "sleighs," collective numerals are not typically used; instead, ordinary numerals are employed.
With what words are collective numerals used: girls, dogs, house, kittens, scissors, sleighs? - in detail
Collective numerals in the English language are used with certain nouns to indicate a group or collection of items without specifying an exact number. These collective numerals include words like "dozen," "score," "hundred," and so on. When considering the given list of nouns—girls, dogs, house, kittens, scissors, sleighs—the use of collective numerals varies based on the context and the nature of the items being counted.
For "girls" and "dogs," which are animate and countable nouns, collective numerals can be used to indicate a general quantity. For example:
- A dozen girls were at the party.
- We saw a score of dogs playing in the park.
"House" is typically a singular, non-countable noun, so collective numerals are not commonly used with it. Instead, one might refer to multiple houses using phrases like "a row of houses" or "a group of houses."
With "kittens," which are also animate and countable, collective numerals can be applied similarly to "girls" and "dogs":
- There were a dozen kittens in the box.
"Scissors," as a tool, is often treated as a plural noun even when referring to a single pair. Collective numerals can still be used:
- We bought a dozen pairs of scissors for the craft class.
Lastly, "sleighs" are countable and typically refer to vehicles, so collective numerals can also be applied:
- The museum has a score of sleighs on display.
In summary, collective numerals are most appropriately used with animate and countable nouns like "girls," "dogs," and "kittens." They can also be used with objects like "scissors" and "sleighs," though less frequently in everyday language. The use of collective numerals with non-countable nouns such as "house" is not typical, and alternative phrasing should be considered.