Questions tagged [grammatical-number]
This tag applies to questions that deal with grammatical number: “singular” versus “plural”, and (rarely) also “dual”.
1
vote
2answers
16 views
Question about a single event with a plural ending
Let's take the Golden Globes for example. Which of these is correct?
The Golden Globes are getting a lot of attention.
vs.
The Golden Globes is getting a lot of attention.
As a single event, ...
1
vote
0answers
13 views
What 'type' of a word is the word “goings-on”?
I'm not sure how to phrase this correctly, but I noticed that the word "goings-on" has the plural suffix of '-s' before the end of the word. If this wasn't the case, it would be "going-ons" which of ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Which is better: “women-led”, “woman-led” or female-led"?
I am editing a report by a non-native English speaker on coffee production. In one sentence he wrote about working with , in reference to various coffee growers: small farms & cooperatives. My ...
2
votes
1answer
26 views
Confusion over singular or plural case
Which one is correct?
Our software solution contains a set of libraries and manuals that allows efficient handling of user requests.
Our software solution contains a set of libraries and manuals that ...
1
vote
0answers
24 views
This Holiday or This Holidays? [closed]
Holiday/Holidays refer to the Xmas/EOY period not an actual vacation holiday
-1
votes
1answer
28 views
“My Articles' Comments” or “My Article Comments” | “My Reviews' Comments” or “My Review Comments”
I need to add menu items (filters) on my website but I'm not sure which one is correct:
My Articles' Comments
My Reviews' Comments
OR
My Article Comments
My Review Comments
For example, if you ...
0
votes
0answers
29 views
Lettuce -plural [duplicate]
Which is correct for the singular plural noun as it relates to lettuce?
The lettuce’s leaves are fine.
The lettuces’s leaves are fine.
0
votes
0answers
28 views
“this kind of thing” vs “this kind of things” [duplicate]
I want to know the precise difference between "this kind of thing" and "this kind of things". I found some sentences where each version feels more natural than the other but I am sure that depending ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
What grammatical entity causes difference between singular and plural descriptions
"1 year risk of death"
"5 year risk of death"
"risk of death within 1 year"
"risk of death within 5 years"
In the last statement, we switched to the plural word for "year".
How would you describe ...
2
votes
1answer
42 views
Why is the verb in plural?
Why is the noun company here followed by the verb in plural? Does this actually mean - one of the companies, and is it how it should always be written ?
"... to use the services of a web hosting ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Correct usage of “lest”
Which of the followings is/are the correct usage of the word "lest"? How are these different from each other?
...hesitant to speak out lest he be fired.
...hesitant to speak out lest he'd be fired.
.....
0
votes
3answers
51 views
“There are believed to be some ghosts” or ”There is …”?
There are believed to be some ghosts in that house
There is believed to be some ghosts in that house
Can anyone tell me which of the to be verb is correct in this case?
-1
votes
0answers
26 views
A significant portion of advertisements is designed to attract young buyers.
For this sentence, I'm not quite sure if 'is' or 'are' is correct.
A significant portion of advertisements is designed to attract young buyers.
A significant portion of advertisements are designed ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
From today's NY Times: What if there were a place to go? [duplicate]
"What if there were a place to go?"
I think it should be "What if there was a place to go?"
1
vote
1answer
33 views
How to add a plural to a lower case abbreviation?
The average Arizona home uses 1,129 kWh of electricity a month or
13,548 kWh a year.
kWh is an abbreviation for kilowatt hour. How do I express kilowatt hours? Maybe kWh(s)? It would look strange ...
1
vote
2answers
40 views
Using singular or plural verb after “Not only does it..” [closed]
In the sentence, "Not only does it present associates with a unique opportunity but large bonus as well.", would I put "present" or "presents"?
0
votes
0answers
9 views
How do I write a sentence in which parentheticals compensating for singular vs plural are inconsistent? [duplicate]
I am writing a sentence using a singular noun. I want to use a parenthetical to include the possibility of a plural noun.
For example, the noun is "question" and I want to write "question(s)". The ...
1
vote
0answers
14 views
singular/plural mix up and vocab word confusion
Two questions on these two sentences:
Throughout my PhD I intend to give talks to local underserved middle/high school science classes in the hopes that I can encourage students to consider an ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Usage of you-all in a question [duplicate]
I want to refer to more than one person in this question::
“Have you decided on ...”
I know that you-all is a southern phrase for this purpose:
“Have you all decided ... “
But is there an ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
I don't want fat kids with snub noses [duplicate]
Quick question about matching plurals in a sentence.
'I don't want fat kids with snub noses.'
This is a line from a movie and why is it noses instead of nose?
I thought it would be something like 'fat ...
3
votes
1answer
59 views
Shouldn't “some of the phenomenon” be plural?
The paragraph:
Our team conducts fundamental research in Philosophy, trying to push
the boundaries of what is possible with new techniques, and also trying
to understand and formalize some of ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Is “any of them” used with a singular or plural verb? [closed]
I'm posting this question to settle a debate.
Is the sentence, "If there are three of an unparalleled thing, is any of them truly unparalleled?" correct? The sentence throws me off because the first ...
3
votes
3answers
105 views
How would you say “0.4 - 1g?”
Assuming I don't want to say "zero point four grams to one gram," would it be:
"zero point four to one gram"
or
"zero point four to one grams"
or neither?
I'm leaning towards the second one ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Grammatical number and ellipsis
According to the question Singular/plural forms of subjects with “respectively”, I deduce that one should say
Charge densities have been determined for both the ground and excited states.
...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Articles with numbers
Which article is used in this sentence?
The new hotel will have....... 300-seat dining room on the second floor of the hotel.
the book says "a" but I am not convinced so Is there any explanation i ...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
What is the plural of “mediocre”? [closed]
I've looked it up and all I found that its "mediocres", but never hearing it makes me confused. I wanna use it in a similar sentence: "all the books I've read are mediocres". Is that correct? What ...
0
votes
2answers
52 views
Possessive for abbreviation of a regular plural noun
How do you write the possessive for an abbreviation of a regular plural noun, when the plural 's' is not present in the abbreviation?
I want to write "ten kilograms' weight" in a scientific context ...
1
vote
0answers
24 views
Singular or plural for answer or answers [closed]
Which would be correct?
If the answers to any of the 3 questions above are left blank, the presumed answers for those questions will be no.
or
If the answer to any of the 3 questions above are ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Was vs were 'The deaths of these people'
was vs were
When writing this sentence:
The deaths of these people were / was to have far-reaching effects for Rome...
'The deaths of these people' is a singular event, that is having the ...
0
votes
1answer
47 views
Use the word “Works” to mean “Projects”
Suppose I have done some computer projects (i.e. built some programs). Now instead of the word "projects" I want to use "work". How can I use it to mean projects?
Work or Works?
Do they convey the ...
-1
votes
0answers
28 views
Is there any link of plural with Present Tense?
Why it is wrong in some sentence to use a singular with plural and why it is true in some sentences when we use singular with singular? I have done exercise in our class about plural link with present ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
List of adjectives joined by “or”: Should the final noun be singular or plural?
For example, should it be:
A) Ask the Science, Math, or Art teachers.
or
B) Ask the Science, Math, or Art teacher.
?
0
votes
1answer
31 views
In which grammatical number should the first word in a compound be? [duplicate]
I've recently caught myself spending too much time wondering about several off-sounding compounds I've come across, e.g. browsers list (as in, a list of browsers) and tasks queue (as in, a queue of ...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
possessives and number (sing./pl)
I'm revising a text containing these two sentences:
a) Students’ sex was coded by using their first names. b) Students’
birthday was self-reported in the survey,
I'm sure the correct version ...
1
vote
0answers
15 views
Singular or plural verb with “points” [closed]
I would like to ask whether a singular verb or a plural verb is required in the following sentences.
Here is/are your ten points.
Here is/are your bonus points.
Thank you.
0
votes
2answers
39 views
Are 'a' and 'one' interchangeable? [closed]
I know that we can say:
There is only one car on the lot.
But is it possible to say:
There is only a car on the lot.
In general, are these two words interchangeable? Thank you!
22
votes
4answers
4k views
What is the plural of the noun “go” (as in “have a go”)? [closed]
If I were to try to achieve something you could say I "had a go".
If I tried it multiple times, how would I write that down?
I had many goes
or
I had many go's
or
I had many gos
1
vote
1answer
46 views
“Lots of X(s)” vs “many X”
Clunky title, sorry.
An example: "Lots of pizza" sounds right, as does "many pizzas." "Lots of pizzas" does not sound right (in my dialect; I think it's fine in others), nor does "many pizza." "Lots ...
2
votes
1answer
38 views
Usage singular vs plural for “in their hands” and “on their face”
Considering that Sam and his brother are waiting together for a movie to start, and each of them has a sugar candy in their hand, and each of them smiles… what will be the most grammatically correct ...
2
votes
2answers
53 views
Is “what has been discussed are…” a grammatically correct sentence?
When concluding an essay, I wrote "what has been discussed are three major advantages of xxx". But I doubt if "what has been discussed is three major advantages of xxx" is more correct?
1
vote
2answers
44 views
Rationales behind or rationale behind?
I've been searching and I'ye yet to encounter many "Rationales" (Plural) but "Rationale" (Singular). Is it grammatically correct to write "There are several rationales behind my belief that history ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Is “They have unique index” Ok?
I am not sure that "They have unique index" or "They have unique indexes". It looks like "indexes" for consistency with "they", but "unique" implies it is singular. I need help on this. Thanks.
1
vote
3answers
65 views
Attached is my thoughts. Plural or singular?
In an email I wrote :
Attached is my thoughts.
And then thought about it.
My attachment is a singular attachment. My thoughts are in the plural, within the single attachment.
But the very fact ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
“Some researches show” or “some research works show”?
Which one is more idiomatic? Can research be pluralised?
Some researches show that ...
or
Some research work show that ...
Or other more idiomatic suggestions?
1
vote
2answers
107 views
Point of contacts? [duplicate]
An exact Google search for "point of contacts" yields 2 million results, including sites like UNESCO and multiple universities and other academic sites. Is this a legitimate plural form of "point of ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
“Is” versus “are”
I have a super silly question. I've been living abroad too long and teaching low level ESL has done the BYElingual thing to me.
This sentence "Reading comic books is bad." should the "is" be "are" ...
1
vote
2answers
438 views
“Neither of us are” -vs- “Neither one of us is” [duplicate]
This cartoon was recently posted on Facebook. My sister (who is a retired HS English teacher) says the grammar is wrong and that the correct wording should be: "Neither one of us is." but I disagree.
...
-2
votes
1answer
52 views
this type of methods should be treated as singular or plural [closed]
For example, is this correct?
This type of methods has achieved great success.
or it should be
This type of methods have achieved great success.
3
votes
2answers
51 views
Plural of “Coke Zero” as a drink
I am wondering:
Instead of saying: "I would like to have/drink 2 glasses/bottles of Coke zero/light", what would be the plural form of the more colloquial rendering?:
I will drink 2 Coke zeros
or
...
9
votes
2answers
861 views
Is “series” plural or singular? [duplicate]
The word series seems to generally refer to a group which I would think makes it a singular reference, however the ies ending is also a common way to modify a singular noun into a plural noun (eg., ...
