This tag applies to questions that deal with grammatical number: “singular” versus “plural”, and (rarely) also “dual”.
3
votes
1answer
363 views
Is 'rest' singular or plural?
When 'rest' means what is left after everything or everyone has gone, been used, dealt with, or mentioned, is it singular or plural?
My guess is, this depends. When 'rest' refers to countable things ...
3
votes
3answers
110 views
“Both the first and the last [plural]” vs. “both the first and the last [singular]” [duplicate]
There is a recorded announcement I hear several times a day on the trains I catch to and from work. Here is part of the announcement:
This train contains quiet carriages. Both the first and the ...
1
vote
1answer
147 views
Is “make no mistake” a mistake?
Is "make no mistake" proper grammar?
Isn't "no" being used as a quantifier? Aren't quantified nouns supposed to be plural when the quantity is none? For example, I was taught to say, "one egg" and ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
Use of “results” in “Substituting for the numbers results in equation A” correct?
I have the following sentence:
From Equation 1, x=1 and y=2. Since z=x+y, substituting for the numbers results in z=3.
I want to just check the usage of "results" is correct. My logic is that ...
1
vote
1answer
209 views
What is the correct plural form for multiple bachelor degrees? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct way to pluralize an acronym?
I am helping a former intern ready their resume for distribution. The candidate used an abbreviation I was unfamiliar ...
1
vote
3answers
95 views
Quoting prices informally
To the question, "How much does this cost?" which of the following answers is/are grammatically correct (at least informally)?
Two pound forty.
Two pounds forty.
Two pound forty penny.
...
-1
votes
2answers
108 views
“Countries List” or “Country List”? [duplicate]
Duplicate of:
“User accounts” or “users account”
“Employee list” or “employees list”
Should a list of tokens be called a “token list” or a “tokens list”
“BookList” or “booksList?”
Is it ...
4
votes
1answer
177 views
Are “skill set” and “skill sets” both acceptable?
Are the phrases skill set and skill sets both correct?
I recognize that skill is an adjective and thus is always skill. Also set represents a plural concept, so some may argue that sets is ...
0
votes
0answers
94 views
Which of the following sentences is correct? [closed]
I don't know when to use a singular or plural noun. Would someone please tell me which of the following sentences is correct? Thanks.
Employee is required to wear uniform.
Employee is required to ...
-1
votes
1answer
79 views
What is the appropriate usage of “attentions”?
I recently wondered what the difference between attention and attentions was, as I've heard both, but couldn't think of or remember when someone would use attentions.
One definition for attentions ...
8
votes
5answers
1k views
Is “et al.” used as a singular or plural subject?
When referring to multiple authors by using the name of the first author and "et al.", is it correct to grammatically treat this as one person or multiple persons?
Gamma et al. are saying in their ...
1
vote
3answers
147 views
What is the correct possessive genitive for “media”?
I hope I've used the right terms in the title; I'm not a native speaker.
The singular of media is of course medium. So when talking about one medium's content, the genitive s and apostrophe are easy ...
-2
votes
4answers
145 views
“Music preference” or “music preferences”?
What is the difference between preference and preferences? Does it matter if one uses singular or plural in the following sentences:
The effect of music on test-taking ability greatly depends ...
-1
votes
0answers
39 views
Should I use “has” or “have” to describe what a company [has/have] done [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Are collective nouns always plural, or are certain ones singular?
I am writing a company profile, and am struggling with the language style. Which of these is better?
...
-1
votes
2answers
123 views
I'm trying to show ownership to a plural noun in parentheses
I'm drafting a lease document and have to state the following provision.
The Lessee(s) holds the Lessor and the United States harmless from any loss, liability or damages resulting from the ...
1
vote
2answers
145 views
If “it is a good read” is correct, is “they are good reads” grammatically correct?
I can describe a book as "a good read." But can I describe a number of books as "good reads?"
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Is the word multimedia redundant?
So, the correct plural form of medium is media. Of course, there are exceptions, and the words have taken on new usages (such as adding a definitive article "the" to media, making it singular), but ...
5
votes
1answer
187 views
How do I refer to two things together that have different adjectives?
I want to express these two facts: there is a front view; and there is a side view.
Which of the following are valid ways of referring to the two views together?
a front and side view;
a ...
2
votes
1answer
184 views
Why do we need an indefinite article in the sentence “The price is **an incredible 50,000 dollars**”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
‘A[n] * [number] [plural]’ Construction
Why do we need an indefinite article in the sentence "The price is an incredible 50,000 dollars"? "An" is singular, "dollars" is ...
-2
votes
1answer
403 views
Correct use of “is” or “are” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Singular or plural following a list
Would I use is or are in the following sentence?
The Pohutakawa Coast, Hauraki Gulf, and Waiheke Island is/are the backdrop for ...
1
vote
1answer
161 views
“The number of residents has grown” vs. “the number of residents have grown” [duplicate]
Duplicate:
“A number of students” vs. “the number of students”
“Number of attempts per question is unlimited” or “are limited”?
“A number of questions has been asked” or “have been asked”?
...
1
vote
4answers
249 views
“The efforts involved” vs. “the effort involved”
…this we are doing proactively in order to have a better understanding at coming up with an estimate in case you want to know the effort involved.
Should I go with "efforts" or "effort" in the ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Is “an archives” a grammatically correct phrase? If so, is it an exception or are there others like it?
A friend recently posted a photo he took of a sign at the LBJ presidential library that used the word "archives" as a singular noun. According to a Smithsonian Institution Archives blog post, this is ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
“Special” or “specials” [closed]
I would like to know if in the following sentence, special should be plural or not.
The red apples are not special.
I do not feel that this is correct.
0
votes
3answers
130 views
Why police used as singular in this link?
With reference to this question Collective noun "police" — singular or plural? and as per my understanding Police is always plural. But I got shocked after seeing police used as singular ...
1
vote
1answer
126 views
Which of the following is correct (or better): “Two Players” or “Two Player” as a game menu item?
I have published a simple game for two players, whose menu contains the following:
Single Player (human vs. computer)
Two Players (two players playing on the same device)
Bluetooth (two players on ...
2
votes
1answer
97 views
What should be the plural of “kibbutz” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Plurals of foreign words
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Since this type of a settlement is unique to Israel, ...
1
vote
1answer
220 views
plural of compound nouns [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the plural form of “iPad 2”?
When can an adjective be postposed?
I'm curious particularly with iPod Touch and iPad Mini
The plural would be iPod Touches and ...
17
votes
6answers
1k views
Time and tide wait for no man
In the old proverb:
Time and tide wait for no man.
Our first record of the proverb is from St Marher in 1225:
And te tide and te time þat tu iboren were, schal beon iblescet.
When it was ...
1
vote
1answer
138 views
Which pronoun should I use when writing about a generic activity in a thesis?
I'm writing my Bachelor's thesis where I describe students' activities in a dormitory.
A student produces with a valid ID or passport here and hands in an ID
card photo. In case he/she has a ...
0
votes
2answers
61 views
Does “two patients' excised livers” sound like that each of them has more than one liver? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“On their back” or “on their backs”?
Which of the following is correct/preferable?
Two patients’ excised liver showed no histological evidence of HCC.
Two ...
5
votes
3answers
88 views
Verb agreement in “Where is the Messiah and his Kingdom?”
Where is the Messiah and his Kingdom?
I think it should be "Where are the Messiah and his kingdom"; it just sounds better!
But my friends and even a teacher claim that "is" would be correct.
5
votes
1answer
188 views
About pronouncing the 's' in plural nouns
A general rule of English pronunciation states that the 's' in plural nouns is to be pronounced as /z/ if it is preceded by a 'voiced consonant' such as /n/ or /g/, and as /s/ if it is preceded by a ...
0
votes
1answer
135 views
Plural or singular verb when subject is separated by a comma?
In a sentence when subject is separated by a comma, we use there plural verb or singular verb? There are no conjunction like and, as well as in between. Like I have one sentence as :
Too much ...
2
votes
2answers
66 views
Boundary: single form or plural form?
I am not sure whether "boundary" should be used in single form or plural form. For example, should I say:
I developed this method to define A region's boundary
OR
I developed this method to define ...
0
votes
2answers
192 views
Is the sentence “My pain look like my pride” grammatically correct?
I am a native Spanish speaker but I have been speaking English for more than ten years.
That sentence is part of the lyrics of a song. I get the feeling that it should be "My pain looks like my ...
-1
votes
2answers
201 views
Use of “it” and “them”
Can the pronoun it refer to plural as in the following sentence?
Secrets of Wealth and Provision and how to increase it.
Or should it be:
Secrets of Wealth and Provision and how to ...
1
vote
2answers
256 views
Verb agreement of “heaps”/“lots”: uncountable nouns
I am a non-native English speaker and I recently started noticing that most people do not do the correct agreement of the verb with the noun when saying "there is"/"there was"/"here is". They say, for ...
2
votes
2answers
93 views
Correct way of saying I want a list of the names of each individual entity in a group?
I'm a programmer and in a program I'm currently creating, I want to get a list of all the accounts names that can access a database.
I have no idea if I'm supposed to "get account names", to "get ...
-1
votes
4answers
221 views
The plural of “conch”? [closed]
There is a lengthy thread on the pronunciation of "conch" however I am curious about the plural form "conches." I've noticed that it can be found as "conchs" as well, but "conches" appears to be the ...
1
vote
1answer
138 views
“Hail Mary”, “Glory Be” in the plural [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? (another apostrophe question)
In the rosary, a Catholic sacramental composed of prayer beads, there is a ...
1
vote
2answers
530 views
What is the possessive form of a singular noun ending with a plural s?
I would tend to treat a company name as singular and would therefore write the possessive form with 's. Now, my company refers to its international operations by placing the country name behind the ...
4
votes
3answers
206 views
“Blue-green algae is/are present in the lake”?
I was once walking round one our local lakes with my family and there was a sign that read:
Blue-green algae is present in the lake [emphasis added]
I maintained that it should be are, however ...
1
vote
0answers
24 views
“Data shows” Vs “Data show” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is “data” considered singular or plural?
I was reading a book in which the author has used the sentence as follows:
Data show that unemployment in America is in ...
1
vote
2answers
174 views
When can you pluralize uncountable nouns?
I have a two part question, the second depending on the answer of the first. I don't know if that is frowned upon, but I'm not sure how else to ask.
Foil is an uncountable noun so it is not ...
0
votes
1answer
788 views
Using “are/is” after a list with “and/or” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Singular or plural following a list
James and Mark are going to help you.
Here, I use 'are' because the subject is plural.
James or Mark are going to help you.
...
5
votes
3answers
311 views
Number agreement when using “(s)” for optional plural
I have a question about the following construction and which instance is correct.
Selecting an appropriate study topic(s).
Selecting appropriate study topic(s).
When it is both singular ...
3
votes
1answer
53 views
switch genders or gender?
Recently I read an article on Wired.com "Apple Hires Hacker Who Helped Save Windows From Security Hell", http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/12/apple-hires-hacker/
Here is a sentence I'm kind ...
11
votes
3answers
281 views
Difference in usage of “rock” and “rocks”
Recently, I came across this situation where I was asked which one was correct:
Fossils are found in sedimentary rock.
Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks.
Is there is distinction ...
8
votes
2answers
434 views
Usage of English definite article when referring to generic word
My mother language does not have articles, so I still struggle to choose when to use the indefinte and definite article. The other day, I learned:
"The dog is an animal" is acceptable.
"The iron is ...
