Learners’ Questions: When ‘zero’ means ‘no’

Hi guys! Dan for BBC Learning English with this week’s Learner Question. Find out what

it is after this.

OK! This week’s learner question comes from C Chan from Hong Kong, who writes: In the

sentences: There should be zero accidents on the road or there should be no accidents

on the road, shouldn’t the plural form be changed to a singular? Zero means no and the

noun that follows it surely should be in singular form. OK, C Chan, are you ready? Here we go.

So, when zero is an adjective, it means not any. With countable nouns zero is always followed

by a plural noun. However, if you’re using an uncountable noun, then the singular form

is used. Compare the following: Zero degrees centigrade is the same as 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Or,

We are likely to see zero growth in the stock market this year. Or, we are not likely to

see any growth in the stock market this year. Those two are the same.

No means not a or not any. With countable nouns, no is normally followed by plural forms.

It sounds more natural and it makes better sense to say: No road accidents were reported

in Chelsea throughout August, than to say: No road accident was reported in Chelsea throughout

August.

Sometimes, no may be followed by a singular or plural noun, depending on whether you are

thinking of one thing or many things. For example, he must lead a lonely life. He has

no wife and no children.

Finally, we can use no in an emphatic way to emphasise a negative idea. In the previous

example of the lonely man, no is more effective than not a or not any. For example, he must

lead a lonely life: he doesn’t have a wife and he doesn’t have any children. It’s not

as effective.

With subject nouns, when no is used emphatically, not a or not any is not possible. For example,

no politician tells the truth all the time.

I hope that answers your question C Chan. Thank you very much for writing to us. If

anybody else out there has a question for Learners’ Questions, you can email us on:

learning.english@bbc.co.uk. Please remember to include Learners’ Questions in the subject

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Questions. I’ll see you next time. Bye!