tones

WB, really a good q

There are so many important details to focus on as a learner of a new language, WB. This isn't one of them.

The writer could have used A BRISK BUSINESS TONE and the writer, can use, as he/she did "brisk business tones".



The writer could also have said, "he said" instead of "said he". We have choices.

said he in [what many would call] brisk business tones.

Thank you, JTT and Dale~

You're welcome WB, don't you wish there were more of us

According to JTT, AN XYZ TONE and XYZ TONES are the same in meaning; I usually say 'solid fuel', but 'nuclear fuels'; can I on that analogy say FUEL and FUELS are interchangeble in meaning?

I'd guess WB it depends on the context

Thank you, Dale.

Then what would be the difference?

My guess WB, while I yield to superior dialectic, is, I'd be more likely to use "fuel" under more specific circumstances and "fuels" under more general

Yes, no, WB, I'm, not much help this morn

They are equal in meaning when they are equal, WB, and they are not equal when they are not equal.



Yes, you can say that when they are but you can't say that when they aren't.

Now if I sounded a bit snotty or a lot snotty above, rest assured that I wasn't trying to be.

As I have said many times, CONTEXT is SO important. And this context can be VERY SMALL NUANCES.

Read those last few sentences as they are vitally important. I know that you want to hear some big general rule/guideline that will help you but I'll say with some measure of assurance that there isn't one in these cases you've brought up.

I'm not trying to stop you, or even discourage you from asking more questions. But instead of asking a big GENERAL question, why not try developing some examples where you use 'nuclear fuels' or 'nuclear fuel'.

That may well give us a much better opportunity to help you.

I have a good example of what I've been talking about above, from the CGEL but I don't want to type it out now. Remind me to do so if I forget.

So you can see, WB, why reluctant to be of more help

Thank you, JTT and Dale.

But context can't help here. If situations are given and you tell me which should be used, then next time I still come across problems. I develop this distinction, does it sound good?:

FUEL as a general idea, no a/an/the nor in the plural; A FUEL or FUELS referring to a type of fuel or types thereof.