ITunes Movie Rentals launches today

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Liveinjapan

#502492 Sat, 19 Apr 08 03:49 AM

iTunes Movie Rentals launches today.

I heard Steve Jobs say this.

You can't say 'launch' because it is a service, can you?

Thanks
LiJ

Liveinjapan

Joined on Sun, Feb 4 2007

Osaka, Japan

Contributing Member (1,788)

Please feel free to correct any words I wrote.LiJ

Clive

#502503 Sat, 19 Apr 08 05:20 AM

Hi,

It's fine. It's commonly said, meaning 'to inaugurate', 'to present to the public'.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (22,565)

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

New2grammar

#502519 Sat, 19 Apr 08 06:01 AM

I wonder if rentals must be plural in contexts like this.

New2grammar

Joined on Tue, Nov 21 2006

Veteran Member (7,676)

Who wants to go sailing around the world with me?

Plurals

Liveinjapan

#502524 Sat, 19 Apr 08 06:43 AM

Thanks, Clive.

Yes, I know it's fine. My question is about the subject verb agreement.

I'm stuck with the plural word Rentals.

Liveinjapan

Verbs, Plurals, Plural Words

Liveinjapan

#502526 Sat, 19 Apr 08 06:45 AM

New2grammar

I wonder if rentals must be plural in contexts like this.

I know what you mean. iTune Movie Rentals is the name of internet service provided by Apple for US only now. (I hope to use it later this year in Japan)

Liveinjapan

Grammar, Plurals

New2grammar

#502528 Sat, 19 Apr 08 06:50 AM

I know it's a name but I wondered why Apple named it in the plural form. Any idea LiJ? As far as I know, rental is both countable and uncountable. Why not use the uncountable version?

New2grammar

Plurals

Liveinjapan

#502529 Sat, 19 Apr 08 06:53 AM

New2grammar

I know it's a name but I wondered why Apple named it in the plural form. Any idea LiJ? As far as I know, rental is both countable and uncountable. Why not use the uncountable version?

That's a good point, New2. I think the reason might be a bit ambiguous. Let's wait for native speakers. Smile

Liveinjapan

Grammar, Plurals

Clive

#502709 Sat, 19 Apr 08 05:44 PM

Hi,

It's just the name that they chose. They could have used the word in the singular, but they didn't.

I guess their business is 'rental', but they have many individual transactions each of which is termed 'a rental'. It's the latter way that they are looking at the word.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Liveinjapan

#502828 Sun, 20 Apr 08 01:45 AM

Many thanks, Clive.

Got it!.

Liveinjapan