In Noun phrases^x, Plurals^x

Whole chapters have been written on this topic so a forum post can only touch briefly on the generalities We use both the and a or an before a noun the taken together with the rest of its noun phrase constitutes a referring expression an expression that refers to something unique that is it...

Hello Kangiten I m a learner from Japan Your question is exactly what I too have long thought over but I have not still got a decisive answer for it But up to now I have a feeling that there is no definite rule in forming noun noun compound noun phrases It is true that in the case of right the...

This thread has been debated several times in this forum I think Usually when a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund that noun or pronoun takes a possessive form This is especially true of formal academic writing There are exceptions to this What would the study of language be without exceptions 1...

CalifJim wrote You are compounding the problem here however by using number of together with there is are which at least in relaxed style can almost always be there is no matter what the grammatical number of the following expression So there is can be used but not in very formal styles Jim s...

The prescriptive rule has it that neither and either take the singular verb so Neither has windows neither is the subject and Either one of them has it one is the subject In everyday conversation however it is quite common to hear the plural verb with neither if a plural word ends the entire noun...

Yet how can you say that There are a lot of people is correct The noun phrase a lot singular and the verb are plural are at odds with each other One does not use a singular article a if it is meant to be plural correct The fact that people is plural is entirely immaterial as it is the object of...

Who can explain to me why we sometimes hear there s a lot of people instead of there are a lot of people especially on films and some tv programmes Can we accept it as correct informal language Absolutely we can There are a number of theories as to why ENLs choose the singular form with plurals...

Hello Guest As an answer to this question I would like to quote an article of the American Heritage Book of English Grammar agreement by proximity Certain grammatical constructions provide further complications Sometimes the noun that is adjacent to the verb can exert more influence than the noun...

Hi it s me Ralf the starter of this thread Thanks for your answers so far A post in another thread pointed me to the American Heritage Book of English Usage where I found this section According to the standard rule when the pronoun there precedes a verb such as be seem or appear the verb agrees...

Mr P Thank you a lot for the detailed explanation Now I feel I m going on the way to get what you are saying I think the core of your arguments lies in the part At this point there is no movement The phrase these flowers divides but both these and too red flowers refer to the specific flowers Too...