Questions tagged [grammatical-number]
This tag applies to questions that deal with grammatical number: “singular” versus “plural”, and (rarely) also “dual”.
2,916
questions
-1
votes
0answers
13 views
Working with X is/are fun? [closed]
Is "Working with solutions is fun" or "Working with solutions are fun" correct?
I think it's the first one but I am unsure.
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Several people sharing the same title…is the title plural?
If you have a sentence that is referring to several people who share the same title, does the title become plural?
We are pleased to announce the promotion of John, Bob, and Joe, to the position of ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
Why does there seem to be a consensus with regards to subject complement agreement when the phrase in question starts with “We have”? [duplicate]
From reading about subject complement agreement, there seems to be some contention as to whether the complement should be plural or singular. For example, both
“It is a time when teams take a look at ...
6
votes
2answers
201 views
during the week(s) vs on the weekend(s)
During the week, Nate Brakeley works as a data analyst. But on the weekends, he competes with Rugby United New York, the city’s first professional major league rugby franchise, now in its fourth ...
0
votes
0answers
12 views
All is well. So does all dogs bark? Or Do all dogs bark? [migrated]
All is well. This is the accepted form in English grammar.
Which one of the following form is correct by this convention:
Does all dogs bark?
Do all dogs bark?
2
votes
2answers
72 views
Countable plural nouns & subject-verb agreement
A friend of mine claims that a sentence like:
Foreign languages is what interests me.
is the only correct option, whereas using the plural are would be wrong.
I'm not convinced about this and I ...
-1
votes
0answers
32 views
Which number to use in the sentence “The name/names of Adam and Eve are used by many parents to name their child/children”? [migrated]
Child/children is in general, I don’t know the number of it. Maybe a pair of parents have only one child, maybe more. So should I use child or children?
Adam has one name (Adam), Eve has one name (Eve)...
-1
votes
0answers
15 views
“After users create an account” or “After users create accounts” [migrated]
This has been bothering me for a long time and I don't know what the proper word to describe it is, so I just put the words in the title.
The live sentence is something like this:
After (a) user(s) ...
0
votes
2answers
58 views
Is there a grammatical difference between “heart of oak” and “hearts of oak” in the British patriotic song “Heart of Oak?” [closed]
A British patriotic song titled "Heart of Oak" has two versions that are widely sung.
The chorus in the first version goes like this:
Heart of oak are our ships,
Heart of oak are our men,
We ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Should it be 'equals' or 'equal'? [duplicate]
I was reading something and found this line. I just want to know whether the word 'equal' should be 'equals' or 'equal'?
Which sentence is grammatical?
At the time of settlement the cash value plus ...
3
votes
2answers
102 views
World Oceans Day — why is it plural?
Today is the World Oceans Day. Why is ‘World Ocean’ in it plural? There is only one World Ocean. Or did they just omit the apostrophe before the -s?
1
vote
0answers
35 views
Subject-verb agreement question
Quick question. Does the sentence below seem grammatically correct?
"Employees are a great resource for connecting you to the right product."
My gut is telling me that even though "...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
'Frame' or "frames' of reference [duplicate]
I am stuck on whether to use 'frame' or 'frames' of reference.
Example sentences:
This study seeks to add value to the theologies of the Hebrew Scriptures in both its Hebrew and Greek frame/frames of ...
0
votes
5answers
150 views
'What is important is …' vs 'What is important are …'
Which number does be want to agree with? Is it with important or customer relations?
What's most important is good customer relations.
What's most important are good customer relations.
Which one is ...
32
votes
6answers
3k views
What is the difference between “they” and “it” for people, especially for those people who identify as non-binary?
I’ve heard that they is used as a word to refer to people who are
non-binary. Since English is not my first language, I’m not sure what the
difference is between they and it in these usages.
Of course,...
0
votes
1answer
97 views
“Tables sizes” - why is it wrong? [duplicate]
For example, "Tables sizes" as far as I know, is wrong. Correct is "Table sizes". But it may mean either "sizes of the one table" or "sizes of many tables". How ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
Correct usage after result [closed]
I would like to know which of the following is grammatically correct:
Another result of the crisis in 2001 were rising land and housing prices
or
Another result of the crisis in 2001 was rising ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
Is “arts” (a subject in schools) a singular noun?
When used as subject, is the word arts considered a singular noun or a
plural one?
Art is my favorite class at school this term.
Arts is? my favorite class at school this term.
Why can’t we just say ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
What's the proper pluralization of this linking verb? Did I violate the subject-verb agreement law? [duplicate]
This is the quote I'm having trouble with.
Help me prioritize my tasks. By "tasks," what I really mean is
programming languages.
I'm particularly confused in the line where I say, "...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
Should a prepositional phrase beginning with “of” that follows a plural noun be singular or plural?
Which of these is correct? “Types of citrus fruit” or “types of citrus fruits”? I suspect it is the first example, but I would really like to know what the grammar rule governing these situations ...
1
vote
3answers
206 views
“Mitochondria IS the powerhouse of the cell” - is this grammatically correct?
In science as well as pop-culture, I've seen "Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell" in the singular.
However, "mitochondria" is the plural form of "mitochondrion", ...
0
votes
1answer
81 views
Singular vs. plural when the subject has multiple objects in it
This is a question about deciding singular vs. plural verb where the subject contains multiple objects in it. Let me set the context first.
I have a mathematical problem where I need to find a ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
Population(s) by State(s): Singular or Plural?
Suppose a table has many groups, each group of which has one certain number. Then, which of the following is grammatically correct as(?)/for(?) the table's title?
Certain Number by Group (US Census ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
how to determine whether I should go with singular or plural in the following sentence?
I was just wondering what to choose between singular and plural in the following usage:
"Both functional and individual distributions/distribution of national income are/is addressed in the ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
Confusion with plural usage form [duplicate]
So I'm quite confused as to what word do I use in these sentences:
That equates to almost over 136,000 cars needing "repairs/repair".
DIY hail damage repair kits really "isn't/aren't&...
0
votes
0answers
31 views
If one presidential term is four years, how do you say two terms in terms of years? Two four years's?
If one presidential term is four years, how do you say two terms in terms of years? Two four years's? Two four years doesn't make a lot of sense but two four years's sounds weird.
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Do the words “mommy and daddy” in the following paragraph need to be in plural? [closed]
I saw the young faces of several 10/12-year-old girls slowly turning purple with a pair of large tightening hands wrapped around their tiny porcelain necks.
Tears were streaming down their soft silky ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
Singular/plural juxtaposition ? (“… was remarks …”)
There are many questions here on singular and plural controversies and one thing I have noticed is that many of these apparent contradictions are resolvable by grammar. However, sometimes, the ear (...
3
votes
1answer
92 views
Suggestions to indicate the second person pronoun is singular?
Do you have any suggestions to clearly show that the second person pronoun is singular, not simply basing it on context? For example, one could use "you man" or "you one," but it ...
0
votes
0answers
16 views
When is the word rate used in the plural?
To evaluate the transmission rate of the LRU channel,we evaluate it as
a covert channel using one target set.
When d = {2, 4, 6}, the error rate is large on E5-2690.
Figure 5 (top) shows the error ...
-1
votes
1answer
45 views
Many users, one address each: Users address? Users addresses? User addresses? [duplicate]
In the context of writing a technical document, I need to refer to a data structure that contains a list of addresses, in fact one address for each user in the system.
Should I call this data ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
Is it “I read one of your comment” or “I read one of your comments”? [duplicate]
Which one is correct? The first one implies that I read one specific comment but the second one that I read one comment out of many the person made?
Thanks!
-1
votes
2answers
54 views
(basic but confusing) Noodles - is or are? [closed]
It is obvious that "are" is used in cases like "These noodles are tasty", but what about the following?
I.
variant 1. These are pasta noodles.
variant 2. This is pasta noodles.
II.
...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
which is correct here, break or broke? [closed]
which one is correct?
"Steve was amazing before his leg break."
"Steve was amazing before his leg broke."
1
vote
0answers
34 views
Should this noun be plural or singular [duplicate]
I was reading an article and came across to the following sentence.
Rock fulgurites, found almost exclusively on the peaks of mountains, appear as a thin crust on the surface of rocks.
What I couldn’t ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Should I use 'is' or 'are' in ambiguous sentences like this one? [duplicate]
I understand that you should use 'is' for singular and 'are' for plural, but in this sentence I am not sure which applies.
Take the sentence
Bees are an important part of our ecosystem.
Let's say I ...
2
votes
2answers
71 views
How to suggest plurality of a generic word?
There is a basket of oranges kept in the middle of the room. A child comes in and kicks it. I want to describe the action but want to use the generic "fruit(s)" in the sentence. It does not ...
6
votes
1answer
195 views
Plural of “beef Wellington”
A colleague asked: what is the plural of "beef Wellington"? (In response to a few comments, I recognise that I am unlikely to be misunderstood in a restaurant no matter how I order ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
How to choose between singular/plural verb in multiple sentences
From my personal standpoint; following trends, trying to understand even little bits of what’s happening around you and the world, reaching out to people, putting yourself in their shoes is crucial in ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Schoolchildren population or schoolchild population?
Although we are taught to use singular adjectives to modify nouns, "schoolchildren" population seems to be a more commonly heard and searched (Google) option than the true singular "...
0
votes
0answers
10 views
Determine whether each of the following statements (are or is) true or false [duplicate]
While writing some questions, I came across the following:
Determine whether each of the following statements ____ true or false.
a. statement 1
b. statement 2
c. statement 3
In the gap, which one of &...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Plural use of Necklace
Why does the last line in the short story The Necklace treat necklace as plural?
Mine were false. They were not worth over five hundred francs!
But the translation by Jonathan Sturges reads:
...my ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
few/little/some software (in plural) [duplicate]
I would like to say:
Available calculation methods are limited to few software. With "few", I mean 3 programs. However, "software" is an uncountable noun. "Some" and &...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
Objectives for Plural Subjects
Please have a look at the following example.
The shops on the high street see a customer drop.
The shops on the high street see customer drops.
Which one is grammatically correct?
Thanks.
0
votes
0answers
42 views
Why we say 'the mountains' with definite article [duplicate]
There are rules for zero/definite/indefinite article.
And I don't get why we use 'the' with word 'mountains' in the next sentence:
I like to spend holidays in the mountains.
As for me the correct rule ...
0
votes
2answers
40 views
Orientation is a plural or singular noun?
In a book on programming there is such statement
The concepts on which object orientation depend (abstraction,
encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism) will be explained.
Here is used the word ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
Singular or plural? into a working-class family or working-class families [duplicate]
Which one of the following sentences is correct?
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born into working-class families.
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were born into a working-class ...
0
votes
2answers
50 views
Singular or Plural after plural subjects [duplicate]
In the following sentence, which should I use, singular phone or plural phones?
Most people have (a) smartphone(s) nowadays.
I think singular is correct, because using plural makes it sounds like ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
A Question About Plural Singular [duplicate]
In the following passage, is "These are a piece" grammatically incorrect? It feels odd to change it to "Theses are pieces" but that would seem more consistent.
"The word ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
How to differentiate the usage of “number” in situations that “number” represents “index” and “quantity” respectively
Number has both meaning of "index" and "quantity". I am often confused by this in writing sentences such as:
The conversion between the number of books and total pages is simple. (...
