success既是可数名词也是不可数名词。success的基本意思是“成功，成就，胜利”，是抽象名词，不可数，也不可加不定冠词a修饰。success还可作“成功的事或人”“一次成败”解，这时为可数名词，不能与冠词连用。

succeed的用法

他的计划成功了。

误：His plan was succeeded.

正：His plan succeeded.

析：succeed 表示“成功”，是不及物动词，因此不能用于被动语态。

他终于把那个问题解决了。

误：At last he succeeded to solve the problem.

正：At last he succeeded in solving the problem.

析：表示做某事做成功了，succeed 后通常不接不定式，而接 in doing sth。

又如：He succeeded in getting the job.（他谋到了那份工作），She succeeded in (passing) the exam.（她考试及格了）

失败是成功之母。

误：Failure is the mother of successes.

正：Failure is the mother of success.

析：success 表示抽象意义的“成功”，是不可数的；表示具体意义的“成功的人或事”, 则是可数的。比较：Success does not usually occur early.（大器晚成），His new book was a great success.（他新出版的书获得了巨大成功）。再比较：He has had great success in business.（他事业上很成功），He was a great success in business.（他事业上很成功）。

你说服她改变主意了吗?

误：Did you have any success to persuade her to change her mind?

正：Did you have any success in persuading her to change her mind?

析：have success in doing sth＝做某事有结果或效果。又如：What success did you have in finding a new job?（你想找份新工作结果如何?）