ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Pizza's?

shaved — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:19:13 GMT

then there's always the question of pizzaz

As in: This pizza's got pizzaz!

sorry, couldn't resist

Re: Pizza's?

Andyw12345 — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:07:43 GMT

Thanks Mr P - your help is greatly appreciated.

Re: Pizza's?

MrPedantic — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:53:36 GMT

Yes, pizzas means more than one, and pizza's means either "of the pizza" or "pizza is"/"pizza has", e.g.

1. Here are your 77 pizzas. (= plural)
2. My pizza's cold. (= is cold)
3. My pizza's got too many anchovies on top. (= has got)
4. This pizza's provenance is unknown. (= the provenance of this pizza)

Best wishes,

MrP

Re: Pizza's?

Andyw12345 — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:47:18 GMT

Thanks guys - so I am correct in thinking that pizzas means more than one and pizza's is used when you are talking about one pizza or abreviating pizza is/has?

Thanks!

Re: Pizza's?

MrPedantic — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:29:31 GMT

Andyw12345

now it wrote this as 'we sell pizza's'

This is sometimes called the greengrocer's apostrophe, i.e. a redundant apostrophe before a plural inflection on notices promoting foodstuffs. (Potatoe's is also quite common.)

Probably the establishment had found themselves with a surplus, after omitting apostrophes elsewhere (e.g. on the board advertising Todays Specials).

MrP

Re: Pizza's?

GrammarGuy — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:58:51 GMT

"Pizza's my favorite food" is very informal -- I would only use a contraction like this when writing dialog.

Re: Pizza's?

Goodman — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:30:02 GMT

Hi Grammarguy,
Welcome!
By the way, you are not related to Grammar Geek; are you?

<<>>"Pizza's" is also a contraction: "Pizza's my favorite food."

"This is John's restaurant"- it's correct becasue it is a contraction to a person.
I have a little resevation about using contraction with good or inimate objects.
Don't mean to disagree. Just my take..

Re: Pizza's?

GrammarGuy — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:59:09 GMT

"Pizzas" is the plural: "We sell pizzas."

"Pizza's" is a possessive: "The pizza's topping was delicious."

"Pizza's" is also a contraction: "Pizza's my favorite food."

Re: Pizza's?

Yoong Liat — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:51:19 GMT

Andyw12345

Hi guys,

Drove past a restaraunt (restaurant) today and it was advertising pizzas, now it wrote this as 'we sell pizza's' - am I write (right) in thinking that it should be pizzas (i.e. plural)?

Thanks in advance!

You're right. The plural of 'pizza' is 'pizzas'.

I hope you don't mind my pointing out your typos.

Best wishes

Pizza's?

Andyw12345 — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:07:35 GMT

Hi guys,

Drove past a restaraunt today and it was advertising pizzas, now it wrote this as 'we sell pizza's' - am I write in thinking that it should be pizzas (i.e. plural)?

Thanks in advance!