tinanam0102  +  773794 Wed, 10 Jun 09 07:20 AM Hi teachers,   Would you please correct the following sentences for me while you give answers to the questions?   1.  If a shipment of 30 pieces is meant to be sent out partially to a customer, bit by bit. Would "tranche" fit in this kind of content?     2. I have just finished the piece count.  There were 120 pieces.  I will send them to you in tranches. (Would tranches the plural correct? Thank you.)   Regards, Tinanam     tinanam0102 Joined on Wed, May 6 2009 Full Member 410 Regards, Plurals, Sentences

	Mr Wordy  +  774192 Wed, 10 Jun 09 12:20 PM I think "batch" would be a better word here.   "I have just finished the piece count. There were 120 pieces. I will send them to you in batches." Mr Wordy Joined on Tue, May 27 2008 Senior Member 2,359 Native British English speaker

	tinanam0102  +  774434 Wed, 10 Jun 09 05:48 PM Hi Mr. Wordy,   Would "bit by bit" also fit in this content?   Thank you.   Regards, Tinanam     tinanam0102 Regards

	Mr Wordy  +  774567 Wed, 10 Jun 09 11:01 PM tinanam0102 “Would "bit by bit" also fit in this content?”     Sorry, I didn't realise that was part of the question.   It doesn't seem a good choice here. "bit by bit" is usually used for finely divisible things (for example, "add the flour to the mixture bit by bit", "bit by bit, I began to gain on him") rather than discrete items. It's also rather informal and chatty, and not very appropriate for a business communication (as this seems to be). Mr Wordy Business Communication, Business, Careers, Apologies

	tinanam0102  +  775177 Thu, 11 Jun 09 06:58 AM Hi Mr. Wordy,   Thank you for your clear explanation.  I just realized I had forgotten to ask if "tranche" has a plural form.  I looked up dictionaries, but some didn't show if it really has a plural form, and MSN showed it has one.  My LongXXX and Oxfxxx dictionaries do not have this entries.   Thank you very much TN tinanam0102 Plurals

	Mr Wordy  +  775482 Thu, 11 Jun 09 12:23 PM Yes, "tranche" is a countable noun and forms a regular plural, "tranches". Dictionaries don't usually show regular plurals. The reader is assumed to know how to form them. Mr Wordy Plurals, Nouns, Countable Nouns

	tinanam0102  +  775497 Thu, 11 Jun 09 12:36 PM Hi Mr. Wordy,   Thank you.    Tinanam tinanam0102