Looking for Mr or Mrs Right

The situation

An online dating website is asking its members what they look for in a partner. Is physical attractiveness the most important thing? Does intelligence matter more? Or do qualities such as kindness, humour and reliability count for more?

The website has invited members to create profiles, compare their priorities and take part in a survey. Some people are very serious about finding a partner. Others have a rather unusual idea of how to describe themselves!

The people and profiles in this unit are fictional. The percentage figures in the activities are invented for language practice, not the results of a real survey.

People often describe the qualities they hope to find in a partner. Some refer to appearance; others describe character, intelligence or behaviour.

Abstract nouns used in a general sense

When we talk about an abstract quality in general, we do not normally use a/an or the.

• Beauty is important to some people.
• Intelligence can be attractive.
• Honesty matters in a relationship.
• Kindness is more important than money.
• Humour makes life more enjoyable.

A particular example or instance

We use the when we identify a particular quality, or when the context makes it clear which one we mean.

• The kindness she showed was unforgettable.
• The intelligence he displayed impressed everyone.
• I admired the honesty of her answer.
• The confidence in his profile seemed exaggerated.

A countable expression containing an abstract noun

Some abstract nouns can appear in countable expressions, especially when we add a descriptive word or phrase.

• a good sense of humour
• a strong sense of responsibility
• an interest in other people
• a love of music
• a fear of commitment
• a talent for languages

Imagine that a dating website asks members to distribute 100 points between five qualities. Each person must use all 100 points. The more points a quality receives, the more important it is to that person.

We can describe the results in different ways:

• Alex gives physical attractiveness twice as much importance as Jamie does.
• Jamie gives intelligence 40% of the points: twice as much as Alex.
• Alex gives a quarter of the points to intelligence.
• Both give reliability a tenth of their total.
• Jamie gives kindness a higher percentage than Alex does.

Useful language for percentages and comparisons

• 40% = forty per cent = two fifths
• 25% = twenty-five per cent = a quarter
• 50% = fifty per cent = a half
• 10% = ten per cent = a tenth
• a higher / lower percentage
• twice as much importance as; half as much importance as
• the same percentage as; a larger / smaller proportion of

Abstract nouns are often uncountable. We can use quantity expressions to say how much of a quality someone has.

We can also use many and few with countable nouns:

• He has many interests.
• She has few close friends.
• They share a few interests.
• There aren't many photographs on his profile.

When an abstract noun becomes countable

Some nouns can be countable or uncountable, depending on their meaning.

• Experience is important. (knowledge gained over time)
• It was an experience I will never forget. (an event)
• She has a lot of experience in her work.
• They had some interesting experiences while travelling.

Other examples include beauty / a beauty (a beautiful person or thing), kindness / a kindness (an act of kindness), and pleasure / a pleasure (something or someone that gives pleasure).

Read these fictional dating profiles. Notice how people describe themselves. Do their claims sound convincing?

Sense, lack, amount and degree

• a sense of humour / a sense of adventure / a sense of responsibility
• a lack of confidence / a lack of communication
• a great deal of patience / a certain amount of independence
• a high degree of intelligence / a surprising degree of maturity

Beauty, a beauty and the beauty

• Beauty is subjective. (beauty in general)
• She is a real beauty. (a beautiful person)
• The beauty of the countryside attracted them. (a particular quality)

One and ones

We can use one or ones instead of repeating a countable noun.

• I'd like to meet someone with a good sense of humour. A genuine one, not a sarcastic one.
• Which profile do you prefer, the first one or the second one?
• I like people with interesting hobbies, especially unusual ones.

Choose the best answer for each sentence.

Choose the expression that best completes each sentence.

Use the figures in the table in Section 3.

Choose the correct form.

The profile

When Morgan joined the dating website, the first thing they did was write a very impressive profile. “I'm intelligent, attractive, generous and extremely patient,” it began. “I have a wonderful sense of humour, a great deal of confidence and a strong interest in other people. I believe that honesty is the most important quality in a relationship.”

Morgan also listed an impressive number of interests: classical music, mountain walking, cooking, astronomy, modern art, languages and several sports. There was only one small problem. Morgan had very little experience of most of these activities.

Casey read the profile with interest. Physical attractiveness was not at the top of Casey's list. Intelligence mattered, but so did kindness, reliability and a sense of humour. Casey sent Morgan a friendly message and suggested meeting for coffee.

At the café, Morgan talked confidently about travelling, although the stories seemed to become less convincing as the conversation continued. When Casey asked about astronomy, Morgan admitted that the only thing they knew about stars was how to recognise the one on a Christmas tree.

Casey laughed. Morgan looked embarrassed, then laughed too. “I suppose I exaggerated a little,” Morgan admitted. “I wanted to make a good impression.”

“A little honesty is more attractive than a lot of exaggeration,” Casey replied. “And you do have a sense of humour.”

They did not decide that afternoon whether they were perfect for each other. But they agreed to meet again. Perhaps the beginning of a good relationship required less perfection and more honesty.

Comprehension

Imagine you are designing a dating profile. Distribute 100 points between these qualities. You can give more points to some qualities and fewer to others, but your total must be 100.

Total: 100 / 100

Your points add up to 100. You are ready to compare your priorities.

Now explain your choices:

• I gave the most points to ... because ...
• I gave ...% to physical attractiveness and ...% to intelligence.
• For me, kindness is twice as important as ...
• I think a sense of humour is just as important as ...
• I gave only ...% to ... because ...

• Abstract nouns such as beauty, intelligence, honesty and kindness are often used without an article when we speak generally.
• Use the for a particular quality: “the kindness she showed”.
• Use a/an in countable expressions: “a sense of humour”, “an interest in music”.
• Use much, little and a great deal of with uncountable nouns; use many, few and a few with countable plural nouns.
• Some nouns can be countable or uncountable with different meanings: “experience” and “an experience”; “beauty” and “a beauty”.
• Use percentages, fractions and comparisons to describe how important different qualities are.
• Use one/ones to avoid repeating a countable noun.