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Sometimes we need to refer to something without knowing will it be singular or plural. How to write such things in formal writing?

Version 1

No valid input files found.

  1. Make sure the input field contains at least one ".adoc" file.
  2. Make sure this file (these files) does exist.

Version 2

No valid input files found.

  1. Make sure the input field contains at least one ".adoc" file.
  2. Make sure this file(s) does exist.

Or something different?

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1 Answer 1

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For the second variation (and there's nothing wrong with at least one), use the indefinite article a; that's what it's meant for:

  1. Make sure a file exists.

The fact that one file exists doesn't preclude the possibility that multiple files exist. But having at least one exist (which a covers) is a necessarily condition, and it's all that's required to avoid the error message in the question.

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  • "Make sure this file exists." - as I understand, this is correct as well, but a little more explicit?
    – john c. j.
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 15:01
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    @johnc.j. That's right. It means you're talking about a single specific file. And while not wrong, more contexts than not would normally use make sure the file exists.
    – Jason Bassford
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 15:36
  • Thanks. Though, I'm not native speaker, and the phrase "than not would [...] file exists" is not really clear for me...
    – john c. j.
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 15:41
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    @johnc.j. I had just meant that it would be more common to use the than this when referring to a specific file. Although, there are some sentences in which this would make more sense—just not as many.
    – Jason Bassford
    Commented Sep 2, 2019 at 15:45

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