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Unread May 15th, 2012, 06:05 am
Sue
 
Join Date: Oct 8th, 2006
Location: Milan
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Default Re: how to use the Internet

Churchill has been dead a long time and language changes very quickly. There are a lot of things used in modern English that he wouldn't have used or even have recognised. Undoubtedly, if you'd told him something was "cool" he'd have asked if it had been in a refrigerator.... You need to look at how people use the language now - not 70 years ago.

Try using the concordancer that I mentioned in a previous answer. For "equipments" you'll find ....

Brit Eng (written) 0 examples
Brit Eng (spoken) 6 examples
Am Eng (written and from the 60s) 0 examples

This suggests that the language is definitely changing, and that in everyday speech it is used countably - if not often. But because the change is not yet widespread, when writing (and focusing on being "correct") people still go back to the traditional uncountable form. Speech always changes before writing.

So by all means go on using it uncountably. Personally I don't think I'd ever use it countably. But don't be surprised if you hear "equipments" more and more in future, and if gradually it becomes common in written English too.
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