Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

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New2grammar

#535484 Tue, 01 Jul 08 11:51 PM

Watermelon/watermelons is/are my favorite fruit.
Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.
Mango/Magoes is/are my favorite fruit.

Are both correct?
Thanks

New2grammar

Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006

Veteran Member (7,676)

Who wants to go sailing around the world with me?

Clive

#535504 Wed, 02 Jul 08 12:43 AM

Hi,
Yeah, but I think that most people will usually use the plural form.

Is a watermelon a fruit? (:)) Smile

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (22,480)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Plurals

Yoong Liat

#535530 Wed, 02 Jul 08 03:52 AM

Hi Clive

Clive
Is a watermelon a fruit?

Are you saying that a watermelon is not a fruit?

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (6,092)

Yoong Liat

Clive

#535533 Wed, 02 Jul 08 04:01 AM

Hi,
No, I'm not saying that. I'm asking the question. What do you think?
Clive (:)) Smile

Clive

New2grammar

#535621 Wed, 02 Jul 08 09:24 AM

Clive, you must be kidding me. Yes, I consider watermelons as a fruit. Smile

I think I know why you asked that. Similar questions: Is honeydew a fruit? I think it's related to my following question

We say I ate strawberries, I ate blueberries, I ate bananas (if you really had more than one), I ate strawberries but I ate watermelon (singular)

Do you think the same principle hold for my original examples?

Watermelon[s ] is/are my favorite

Pineapple[s ] is/are my favorite.

New2grammar

Anonymous

#535655 Wed, 02 Jul 08 10:47 AM

Clive is correct and is right to say most people tend to use the plural.

For example:

"Drugs are bad for you"

"Bananas are bad for you" (if you have too many of them!)

Anonymous

Plurals

Yoong Liat

#535916 Wed, 02 Jul 08 04:55 PM

Hi Clive

As New2grammar said, a watermelon is a type of fruit.

Yoong Liat

Grammar

Abil

#535925 Wed, 02 Jul 08 05:20 PM

Water melon is a fruit "in its own right". It is mainly produced in India, Bangladesh and central Asia.

Abil

Joined on Wed, Jun 11 2008

Regular Member (763)

Clive

#536081 Thu, 03 Jul 08 12:39 AM

Hi guys,

I asked because botany is not one of my strengths.

Here is one of several interesting online attempts at defining 'fruit'. [link]
If you search around, you can find a lot of discussions about what is a fruit, as well as about watermelons.

I read a suggestion that a watermelon is part of the gourd family. Would you consider a pumpkin or a squash or even a cucumber to be a fruit?

I don't know, that's why I am asking.
Best wishes, Clive

Clive

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