Fish or Fishes?

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Wwwdotcom

#262456 Mon, 04 Sep 06 09:05 AM

A: What are you doing tomorrow?

B1: Oh, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fish.
B2: Oh, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fishes.

Wwwdotcom

Joined on Fri, Sep 30 2005

Kyoto, but originally from Detroit

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Mister Micawber

#262488 Mon, 04 Sep 06 11:59 AM

Fish. Save fishes for an ichthyological discussion.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (21,217)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Aperisic

#262493 Mon, 04 Sep 06 12:06 PM

Wwwdotcom wrote:
A: What are you doing tomorrow?

B1: Oh, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fish.
B2: Oh, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fishes.

Please give me some fish, around 4 lbs. fish = the flesh of a fish
Please give me two fish, around 4 lbs, if possible. fish = one or more whole fish

To explain: modern plural of fish is not fishes but again fish

Please give me two fish(es), around 4 lbs, if possible.

So in your cases if you want to eat that fish some fish is possible, if you want to count them some fish(es) is possible some = a specific several = those you are going to catch

With all this explained, today you can only say

Oh, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fish.

either you thought to eat the meat of fish soon or to count how many of them you caught. If you say fishes, it is probably acceptable in a jocular manner today.

Aperisic

Joined on Fri, Jul 21 2006

Full Member (409)

Plurals

Aperisic

#262559 Mon, 04 Sep 06 03:27 PM

Wwwdotcom wrote:
A: What are you doing tomorrow?

B1: Oh, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fish.
B2: Oh, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fishes.

BTW, though it is not incorrect, people tend to avoid a solo construction (you, he, she, it, we, they) I am going to go to in case when I am going to is sufficient. Your case would be among such, but look

Oh, I am going to the lake [and] catching some fish.

even if we include the preceding question What are you doing tomorrow?

What are you do(ing) = I am go(ing) to the lake

Only this question What are you going to do tomorrow? would, perhaps, require the full form I am going to go to...

However, I am going to go to is probably not good to omit when you have constructions like

When I have a day off from work, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fish.

This is just a lesser comment. Nothing relevant for what you were asking.

Aperisic

Constructions

Wwwdotcom

#262636 Mon, 04 Sep 06 07:41 PM

I don't know what you mean by "solo construction".

I think that in a conversation where PERSON B is telling PERSON A about some planned event already understood by PERSON A previously, "go to" helps to reinforce this awareness:

A) What are you doing tomorrow?
B) Don't you remember? I am going to go to __________. (To me this comes off more as "I have been planning___")
A) Yea, that's right.

"I am going to" seems to be used more when it is already understood between both A and B:

A) Are you still going to the concert tomorrow?
B) Yea, I am still going (even that, I don't see a problem with "Yea, I am still going to go", it's just longer and probably not used as often). John can't go, so there's an extra ticket. Do you want to come?
A) Don't you remember? I am going to go to that seminar.
B) Yea, that's right.

Wwwdotcom

Conversations, Constructions

Aperisic

#262661 Mon, 04 Sep 06 09:28 PM

Wwwdotcom wrote:
I don't know what you mean by "solo construction".

When I have a day off from work, I am going to go to the lake and catch some fish.

is not a solo construction becasue you have When I have a day off... before

Solo means, for example, that all you want to say is

I am going to London. but you say I am going to go to London

But, for example

I am not going to stay at home, I am going to go to London is fine.

And I said people tend, so there is nothing requisite there. All your points are fine.

Aperisic

Constructions

Wwwdotcom

#262823 Tue, 05 Sep 06 07:18 AM

I am sorry, I am not understanding you. I still don't know what "solo construction" means.

"becasue you have When I have a day off... before" - I don't have the foggiest idea what that means.

WHEN = not "solo construction"? Where do you get this labeling from?

"Solo means, for example, that all you want to say is"

SOLO = all you want to stay (still confused)

Sorry, I don't understand.

Wwwdotcom

Constructions

Logicman

#262834 Tue, 05 Sep 06 08:36 AM

In general use of British English, 'fish' is the plural:

There are lots of good fish in the sea.
This tank is full of fish.

In any more technical use, 'fishes' applies to show we are talking about different kinds of fish.

This web site may help you to see the difference:
http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/what/fish.htm

Logicman

Joined on Tue, Sep 5 2006

London, UK

New Member (27)

Patrick. Relax, it's just an opinion. Smile [:)]

Plurals, British English

Aperisic

#262836 Tue, 05 Sep 06 08:50 AM

SOLO = nothing else in the sentence except I am going to go to London. (or wherever)

Solo, single, only, nothing but, not related to anything else, simple

You read: I am going to go to Paris. it is single, simple, solo construction

When I finish this, I am going to go to London. this is not simple, solo construction, there is in the sentence one logical unit more, one thing more: When I finish this

Aperisic

Constructions

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