Subj : no answer test 1 To : Ardith Hinton From : Alexander Koryagin Date : Thu Nov 30 2023 10:05:32 Hi, Ardith Hinton - Alexander Koryagin! I read your message from 25.11.2023 00:02 > Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All: > > AK> I learned recently that an English pie can be countable > AK> and uncountable. > > > Uh-huh. And since you just happen to know an English major who earned her university fees working in the restaurant business... > bla-bla-bla > > > AK> What does the latter mean? > > > ... I can tell you the average pie is about the size of a dinner plate & may be divided into roughly six or eight pieces, depending on various factors such as what one's customers want &/or how many mouths one is expected to feed. Nowadays I know of a few places around here where one can get individual sizes. Maybe one couldn't years ago, but you didn't say when your excerpt was written. Singletons & childless couples were less common when I was growing up.... :-)) > bla-bla-bla > > > AK> She was sitting at the dining room table with the other > AK> children, two of whom were eating pie and ice cream with > AK> expressions of immense satisfaction." > > AK> I understand uncountable ice cream, but I don't understand > AK> uncountable pie. ;-) > > > Where I come from, ice cream is measured by volume or by weight... and I see you understand that. When you visit a bakery, however, you may notice it offers "pies, cakes, and pastries" for sale. You can purchase one or more such items as you wish or make them yourself at home. Either way I see that in this example there are probably one or more grownups & at least two kids who need to be fed, in which case the thrifty housewife would cut a large pie into servings (or pieces or portions) of whatever size she deems to be most appropriate. :-Q > > > > > --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+ > * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716) > Bye, Ardith! Alexander Koryagin english_tutor 2023 --- * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0) .