英语中复数名词的用法，和英语中冠词、时态和介词一样，也是国内英语学习者的一大难点。以下列举了几个条目，以供参考：
abilities 才能，才干
这个复形名词的单形是 ability， 复形只指智力，单形则可既指智力，亦指体力。复形多不可数，但有复念，表多种特殊的才能或技能，常与物主代词或名词属格连用，如：
(1)From each according to his abilities , to each according to his work.
各尽所能，按劳分配。
(2)You must place your abilities at the service of the people.
(3)Everyone admired his abilities .
(4)We found him work more suited to his abilities .
(5)His abilities were useful rather than splendid.
(6)They never had a chance to develop their abilities .
(7)The doctors say that his thinking abilities and memory have returned.
注意下面一句中的 abilities 与名词 of 属格连用：
(8)His condition baffles the diagnostic abilities of medical men.
abilities 可有修饰语，如上述例（7）与例（8）中的 thinking 和 diagnostic。 汉语中的“听、说、读、写能力”译成英语时，即可将 listening, speaking, reading 和 writing 用作 abilities 的修饰语，如：
(9)listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities
与零冠词连用时，其前一般须有修饰语，如：
(10)Natural abilities are like natural plants that need pruning by study.
(11)God has given you good abilities .
abilities 与其单形 ability 常可通用 （单、复形通用情况在英语里并不罕见），全视说话人或写话人的主观态度而定。如侧重能力的单一概念，就可用 ability； 如侧重种种才能就可用 abilities。 下面只举一二例，即可见一斑：
(12)according to one's ability （或 abilities）
(13)a man of ability （或 abilities）
abilities 一般不可数，但有时却可和 many 连用，如：
(14)a man of many abilities
accommodations 住宿；膳宿 （一般皆指短期）
这个复形名词是美国用语，在美国很少用其单形 accommodation, 一般皆用复形。它虽有复形，但不可数。然而它却有复念。这不仅意味着它用作主语时须用复形动词，如：
(1)The living accommodations were circular huts with walls made of dried mud.
而且有“多”的内涵。此词由“动词 accommodate （提供住宿）+后缀 -ation （表示与动词有关之事物）+ -s ”所构成，故有“种种住宿条件或设备”的含义。如：
(2)He wired the hotel for accommodations .
(3)Can we find accommodations at the hotel for the night?
(4)The hotel has accommodations for one hundred people.
(5)These had accommodations assigned them in the great cabin.
(6)He's coming up here next week. I want to see about accommodations .
(7)The high cost of accommodations makes traveling in the US expensive.
accommodations 还可指火车、轮船、飞机等上面的床铺或座位，这时既可有复念亦可有单念，如：
(8)Can I secure accommodations on the Chicago train today?
下面一句中的 accommodations 则指方便条件，显然表复念：
(9)A telephone is among the passengers' accommodations .
在英国英语里则一般不用复形 accommodations，只用单形 accommodation。
这种美国英语用复形名词而英国英语用单形名词的情况并不罕见，如美国英语常用复形 fruits, 而英国英语则常用单形 fruit。
最后亦请注意 accommodations 可与 the 或名词属格连用，如例（1）与例（9）表“特指”；但也常用零冠词表“泛指”，如例（2）、（3）、（4）、（5）、（6）、（7）、（8）。
accoutrements （美国英语拼作 accouterments）服装、装备；（士兵的武器与军服外的）配备、辎重
这一名词一般只有复形，没有单形，不可数，但有复念。它由“动词 accoutre （装备）+后缀 ment （表手段）+ -s”所构成，所以其复念为“种种装备的手段”。例如：
(1)This man from Paris was now so disguised by his leather accoutrements ...that his closest friend might have passed by without recognizing him.
(2)in order to collect the wounded and their arms and accoutrements
(3)the accoutrements of war
注意下面一句中的 accoutrements 与零冠词连用：
(4)There was no camp filled with plate, jewels, and splendid accoutrements to be devoted to plunder.
actualities 现状
这一复形名词的单形是 actuality， 二者皆属较雅的书面语， 所以有一些初级英语词典未收入词条。在书面语中, actualities 并不罕见。它的意义与 realities （现实）相似或相近， 但它有“异乎寻常而又十分明白的现实”的内涵。它一般不可数， 但有复念， 意味着“种种现存的情况或条件”。它可与零冠词连用， 如：
(1)These distinct possibilities are founded upon distinct actualities .
(2)possible risks which have been seized upon actualities
但更常与定冠词 the 连用，如：
(3)the actualities of politics
(4)Such are the actualities .
(5)He had no choice but to adjust himself to the actualities of life.
(6)Because of his lack of comprehension of the actualities , he was unable to grasp the meaning of this.
(7)What he needed tonight was total escape. A detective story, however bizarre, however removed from the actualities of detection, was the last thing to give it to him.
(8)to look at the actualities of the present and take measure of what is best to be done for the future
顺便提一下, actualities 来自 actuality，而 actuality 又来自动词 act, 但名词 actuality （以及形容词 actual 和副词 actually）并不强调动作，而是强调动作的完成，故而名词有了表状态的“现状”的意义。
advances 主动接近；献殷勤或求爱
作此解的复形名词 advances 是来自表“前进”的单形 advance而后又加以引申了的。它不可数， 但有复念， 有“一系列动作（或行动）或种种尝试（或企图）”的含义。它常与物主代词连用，如：
(1)She didn't respond to his advances .
(2)She refused his advances .
(3)She encouraged his advances .
(4)His advances were rejected.
(5)She had difficulty in escaping his advances .
advances 在成语 make advances 中常用零冠词，如：
(6)Which was the first to make advances ?
(7)He made advances to her.
(8)The association asked me to make advances to the minister.
(9)If you don't stop making advances to all the girls, you'll get your face slapped.
(10)Frederic had some time before made advances towards a reconciliation with Voltaire.
用零冠词的 advances 之前有时可有某些修饰语，如：
(11)Her attitude discouraged all advances .
(12)He looked such a very obdurate butcher...that I thought it best to make no advances .
(13)He made bold advances to a woman sitting next to him.
下面一句中的 first 前当然须用定冠词 the:
(14)Frank made the first advances toward making up the quarrel with Jack.
注意advances作 “挺进”、“进展” 和 “预支” 解时则可数或不可数， 如：
(15)after many advances and retreats
(16)Science has made great advances in the last 50 years.
(17)She made large advances to me. （这句话的意思不是“她向我大献殷勤”，而是“她预支了许多钱给我”）
