Heap of stones vs. heap of flowers

[Tom]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #89 "Common Quantity Nouns", question 2

Over by the railroad tracks, there was a heap of ..........

(a) houses
(b) flowers
(c) stairs
(d) stones

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #89 "Common Quantity Nouns", answer 2

Over by the railroad tracks, there was a heap of stones.

Correct answer: (d) stones
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Why can't it be heap of flowers? Buddha believed in it!

HEAP OF FLOWERS

Tom

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

Buddha also seems to be the just about the only person who has ever used that collocation. And apparently he used it only once.

Yes, theoretically, there could be a "heap of flowers" but flowers usually do not end up as heaps -- especially next to railroad tracks.

Amy

[Alan]

Hio Tom,

'Heap' in the sense of 'pile' very often has the idea of things that have been discarded. I think you might be able to say 'a heap of dead flowers'.

A
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