ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Clive — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:31:26 GMT

Hi,
It's an amusing question to debate.
Clive

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Yoong Liat — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:54:01 GMT

Many thanks, Clive, for the links. They are very informative. Now I would say that watermelon is either a vegetable or a fruit.

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Clive — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:41:40 GMT

Hi,

Perhaps. But the following links, just a few of many you can find on the 'net, offer other views that you might be interested in considering.

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artwatermelon.html

http://www.slashfood.com/2006/06/28/watermelon-is-a-vegetable-says-associated-press/

http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/story.html?id=ea4a7886-2264-4777-a79c-859b6b75042f&k=74992

One comment here that might interest you is that, if you accept watermelon as a fruit, you mght also consider accepting the pepper, the tomato and the pumpkin as fruit.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Yoong Liat — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:28:42 GMT

Hi guys

The following is the definition of 'fruit'. (Encarta Dictionary)

wa·ter·mel·on [ wáwtər mèllən ] (plural wa·ter·mel·ons)

noun

Definition:

1. large fruit with sweet juicy flesh: a large oval or round fruit with a hard green skin and sweet and juicy pink, red, or yellow flesh, usually with many black seeds

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Abil — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:53:38 GMT

I know Mr. Clive, your question was quite innocent.

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Clive — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:39:06 GMT

Hi guys,

I asked because botany is not one of my strengths.

Here is one of several interesting online attempts at defining 'fruit'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit
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

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Abil — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:20:16 GMT

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

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Yoong Liat — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:55:19 GMT

Hi Clive

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

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:47:45 GMT

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!)

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

New2grammar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:24:47 GMT

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

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.

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Clive — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:01:37 GMT

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

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Yoong Liat — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:52:26 GMT

Hi Clive

Clive
Is a watermelon a fruit?

Are you saying that a watermelon is not a fruit?

Re: Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

Clive — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:43:16 GMT

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

Is a watermelon a fruit?
Clive

Banana/Bananas is/are my favorite fruit.

New2grammar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:51:51 GMT

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