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I am confused with the correct meaning of this sentence: "The drinks included some wine, which was apparently not very good." Which of the following should be implied from it:

  1. Whether all of the drinks available was not very good?

or

  1. Only wine among the available drinks was not very good?

Also another doubt is that, whether "drinks" as a noun (which means alcohol beverages here) is singular or plural? So that what should be correct way to say: "The drinks in his party was very good" or "The drinks in his party were very good" ?

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    which refers to some wine, so the sentence itself only says that the wine was not very good - it does not comment on the other drinks. In a real life situation you might infer that the person speaking thought the other drinks were better, but it depends on the exact situation. Drink can be a mass noun - I think what you are trying to say in your second-last sentence is the drink at his party was very good.
    – user96060
    Commented Jun 7, 2019 at 6:33
  • Thanks @Minty for your answer related to the first sentence. In second sentence, it's my bad that I used in instead of at. For this sentence, I mean to refer to alcoholic drinks by The drinks. But as you say, Drink can be a mass noun, so can you tell me whether drink as mass noun, will mean all of the drinks including alcoholic ones if we say "The drink at his party was very good" ?
    – Vaibhav Sharma
    Commented Jun 8, 2019 at 11:35
  • It means the (alcoholic) drink generally. You can say this if you tried some of the drink and thought it was good, as long as none of the other drink you tried, if there was any, was bad. Ypu don't have to have tried every single kind of drink there was before you can say this.
    – user96060
    Commented Jun 8, 2019 at 11:45
  • Ok Minty, I have got your point. Thanks for clearing this one as well. Appreciate your help!
    – Vaibhav Sharma
    Commented Jun 8, 2019 at 12:01

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“Drinks” is a plural noun; “drink” would be the singular form. You would say “The drinks at his party were very good.” If something is part of a party, you say it is at the party (not in). Since “drinks” is plural, you use “were”, not “was”.

Now that you know “drinks” is plural you should be able to answer the first question. “was” is used for a singular noun. “Wine” is singular, while “drinks” is plural. So the thing being described as not very good is the wine.

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  • Thank you so much @Mixolydian for the answer and also for that correction where 'at' and not 'in' is supposed to be used.
    – Vaibhav Sharma
    Commented Jun 8, 2019 at 5:43

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