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Equipment: Noncount Nouns and Verb Agreement
Question
"Most of the equipment was/were defective." Which one is correct?
—
Harpreet
,
India
Answer
Equipment is a noncount noun which means that it has no plural form. Even when it refers to more than one thing, it is still grammatically singular, so you should use a singular verb:
- Most of the equipment was defective.
Equipment is like other noncount nouns such as homework, rice, and clothing. Many pieces of equipment are considered as a unit. Equipments is not a word.
I hope this helps.
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