Search results for 'tag:Singular verbs tag:Regards' matching tags 'Singular verbs' and 'Regards'

Re: Three out of every four automobile owners in the U.S also own a bicyle

Avangi — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:02:12 GMT

Kprasadreddy
Three out of every four automobile owners in the U.S also own a bicyle

One out of every four automobile owners in the U.S also owns a bicyle

Kprasadreddy
Thanks but can you explain the grammar behind it?

In your first example, "three" is the subject of the sentence. The prepositional phrase "out of etc." modifies "three." The plural subject requires the plural verb, "own."

The subject of your second sentence is "one," which is singular and takes the singular verb "owns."

The separate issue, "bicycle(s)," is something I'm not sure about. If you say "'Three people own a bicycle," it could be interpreted to mean that they all share in the ownership of a single bicycle. In the present example, context would rule that out; but "Three people own bicycles," could mean that A owns one, B owns one, and C owns five - equals seven bicycles all together. (You might argue that that doesn't matter.)

Best regards, - A.

Re: one or two was

Hoa Thai — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 01:57:57 GMT

Avangi wrote:
Good morning, Hoa Thai,

I appreciate the research. I think your second example is a little bit different, but I'm not sure I can explain it. The gist of it is, ten years ago you might have gotten one or two [things] while now you get twelve. Since the verb is "to be" you can exchange the subject with the predicate nominative and the meaning is the same: "Betty is my sister. My sister is Betty." So your sentence could read, "A decade ago, the norm [the normal amount] was one or two." Or you could say, "The amount was two or three." "Norm" and "amount" are singular nouns and would take the singular verb "was." I think it would be like saying, "The score was two or three," and then turning it around and saying, "Two or three was the score." Nobody would say, "Two or three were the score." But I don't know how to justify it formally.

Regards, - A.

(Thanks, Philip)

P.S. Looking back at Jack London's piece, we missed one of his baddies: "Most of those oyster pirates was shot or died in jail." "Most" is a plural noun, like "many", and takes the plural verb, "were."

Hi Avangi,

Your "exchanging the subject with the predicate nominative" comment reinforces what I learned but did not often pay attention.

Thank you for spending your time helping me to think a bit deeper.

Best Regards,
Hoa Thai

Re: one or two was

Avangi — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 16:05:40 GMT

Good morning, Hoa Thai,

I appreciate the research. I think your second example is a little bit different, but I'm not sure I can explain it. The gist of it is, ten years ago you might have gotten one or two [things] while now you get twelve. Since the verb is "to be" you can exchange the subject with the predicate nominative and the meaning is the same: "Betty is my sister. My sister is Betty." So your sentence could read, "A decade ago, the norm [the normal amount] was one or two." Or you could say, "The amount was two or three." "Norm" and "amount" are singular nouns and would take the singular verb "was." I think it would be like saying, "The score was two or three," and then turning it around and saying, "Two or three was the score." Nobody would say, "Two or three were the score." But I don't know how to justify it formally.

Regards, - A.

(Thanks, Philip)

P.S. Looking back at Jack London's piece, we missed one of his baddies: "Most of those oyster pirates was shot or died in jail." "Most" is a plural noun, like "many", and takes the plural verb, "were."

Re: is or are?

Yoong Liat — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:15:23 GMT

1. There is a boy and a girl in the playground.

2. There is a boy, a girl and an old man in the playground.

3. There is a boy and two girls in the playground.

4. There are two girls and a boy in the playground.

Some language experts now regard there is as a fixed, unvarying idiom that can precede a (plural) list of nouns so long as the first noun is in the singular. However, the constructions with a singular verb might attract criticism from old-fashioned purists.(The Right Word at the Right Time)

Re: There is OR There are a boy, a girl and an old man...

Yoong Liat — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:12:07 GMT

Kathy456 wrote:

1. There is a boy & a girl in the playground.
2. There is a boy, a girl & an old man in the playground.

3. There is a boy & two girls in the playground.

4. There are two girls & a boy in the playground.

Kathy

This topic has been discussed in another thread.
Some language experts now regard there is as a fixed, unvarying idiom that can precede a (plural) list of nouns so long as the first noun is in the singular. However, the constructions with a singular verb might attract criticism from old-fashioned purists.(Extracted from The Right Word at the Right Time.)

Re: Please, correct my sentences.

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:15:17 GMT

Hello, Philip!

Thanks for you help. You told me that the noun prosecution can take a singular verb form. It means it can also be written in plural verb form.So if you know the grammar explanation for it, please, let me know.

Best regards,

Sonja

Re: pile of ash / ashes

Yoong Liat — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 10:18:54 GMT

Believer wrote:

Hi, Yoong Liat

I was looking at my Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary for the word 'ash' and it had a notation among other notations something like this. Can you tell me if that tells anything about its countability. I am confused about the "also N in pl" part. What does that mean?

I'm quoting from the same dictionary.

Ash (uncountable noun) is (singular verb) the grey or black powdery substance that is left after something is burnt. You can also refer to it as ashes. (plural noun)

He brushes the cigarette ash (uncountable noun) from his sleeves.

A dead man's ashes (plural noun) are (plural verb) their remains after their body has been burnt.

So whether the word is uncountable or plural depends on which word you use: 'ash' (uncountable), 'ashes' (plural).

I hope you are no longer confused.

Best regards

Re: Plural or singular verb?

Magda — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 19:23:20 GMT

Thanks, Marius.
I will keep this rule in mind. What I am puzzled by, however, is the fact that either of the examples you gave me doesn't refer exactly to the sentence I gave.
In your first example, we deal with proper names, no articles there, and in the second one, with one noun in plural and the other in singular.
If I kept this rule in my sentence, I should write "He doesn't even know what an adjective and adverb are," which sounds strange to me because of the indefinite article.
Of course, I will take GG advice and write "adjectives" and "adverbs", but that doesn't clarify my doubts I had in case of the original sentence .

Best regards
Magda

Re: What is the police doing?

Yoong Liat — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 03:43:01 GMT

Magda wrote:
Thank you all for your answers. I asked this queston because I read somewhere a sentence: "What is the government doing? Can't they ...." so I thaught that with police it would be the same story.

Best regards

A collective noun can be used with either a singular or plural noun. However, 'police' is the exception; it requires a plural verb, not a singular verb.

Re: Subject and verb agreement

Philip — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:03:41 GMT

Anonymous wrote:

Dear Group,

Which of these is correct?

1. Our working hours is from 9 to 5.

2. Our working hours are from 9 to 5.

Regards,

Jeeva

"hours" is plural, therefore the plural form of the verb. "Our workday", however, would require a singular verb.