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becky
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:23 pm
Post subject: another singular/plural question |
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Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
Thanks,
becky
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Martin Bonner
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:09 pm
Post subject: Re: another singular/plural question |
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becky wrote:
| Quote: | Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
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Either, but the singular would refer to the particular biscuit(*) I was
eating.
(*) Would you believe I'm right-pondian? |
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Don Phillipson
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:30 pm
Post subject: Re: another singular/plural question |
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"becky" <becky_backy@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1130412206.716713.276510@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
|
You may have misapprehended the basic relationship
between language and facts. Our ability to tell lies shows
that facts do not dictate what may be said or the right way
it should be said.
In BB's case, our choice between singular This and plural These
is governed solely by language -- not by the cookies because
all uses of pronouns are potentially ambiguous. Here, singular
This may mean one cookie, or the flavour we taste, or our
singular experience of enjoyment etc. etc. Plural These is
less ambiguous because fewer plural entities are available
for its referent. But even a preference for plural These (because
more closely mapped to the facts) does not mean facts dictate
language: we are still able to tell lies in perfect grammar.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
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Skitt
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:41 am
Post subject: Re: another singular/plural question |
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becky wrote:
| Quote: | Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
|
Others have said that either expression is fine, depending on the thought
you want to convey. There's one thing in your posting that caught my eye,
and that is the second parenthetical expression. No one has mentioned it
yet, but I'm convinced that the "are" in that expression should be an "is".
Let's see if anyone disagrees.
--
Skitt
Any time you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right,
there's a 90 per cent probability you'll get it wrong. |
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Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:46 am
Post subject: Re: another singular/plural question |
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Skitt wrote:
| Quote: | becky wrote:
Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
Others have said that either expression is fine, depending on the thought
you want to convey. There's one thing in your posting that caught my eye,
and that is the second parenthetical expression. No one has mentioned it
yet, but I'm convinced that the "are" in that expression should be an "is".
Let's see if anyone disagrees.
--
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"There is more cookies on the plate." - NO
"There are more cookies on the plate." - OK
"There is more than one cookie on the plate." - OK
"There are more than one cookie on the plate." - ??
--L |
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Jim Lawton
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:07 pm
Post subject: Re: another singular/plural question |
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On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:41:57 -0700, "Skitt" <skitt99@comcast.net> wrote:
| Quote: | becky wrote:
Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
Others have said that either expression is fine, depending on the thought
you want to convey. There's one thing in your posting that caught my eye,
and that is the second parenthetical expression. No one has mentioned it
yet, but I'm convinced that the "are" in that expression should be an "is".
Let's see if anyone disagrees.
|
I don't disagree with that, but just point out that the cookies being identical
is a feat in itself.
--
Jim
the polymoth |
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Laura F. Spira
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 2:34 pm
Post subject: Re: another singular/plural question |
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Jim Lawton wrote:
| Quote: | On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:41:57 -0700, "Skitt" <skitt99@comcast.net> wrote:
becky wrote:
Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
Others have said that either expression is fine, depending on the thought
you want to convey. There's one thing in your posting that caught my eye,
and that is the second parenthetical expression. No one has mentioned it
yet, but I'm convinced that the "are" in that expression should be an "is".
Let's see if anyone disagrees.
I don't disagree with that, but just point out that the cookies being identical
is a feat in itself.
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Not if you use a cookie press.
--
Laura
(emulate St. George for email) |
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ArWeGod
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:41 am
Post subject: Re: another singular/plural question |
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"becky" <becky_backy@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1130412206.716713.276510@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Suppose you are over at a friend's place and she serves you a plate of
identical cookies. You take a bite and like it. In such a situation,
which would you say, "This is good!" (because all the cookies on the
plate will taste the same and you'd be commenting on this particular
kind of cookie you're eating) or, using the plural form, "These are
good!" (because there are more than one cookie on the plate)? Or is
either possible depending on the emphasis desired?
|
"These are good."
These (the many cookies) taste good.
Unless I were judging from amongst several cookies, and I was supposed
to pick one. Think Wedding Cake. "Well, this is good.... Can I get
another bite of the banana nut layer....?" In which case the "!"
probably would be reserved for an extraordinary slice and would have to
include fresh strawberries.
If I were trying to convey that Life is Good because I just ate the best
cookie ever with my favorite cookie baker in the best place in the
Universe to eat cookies, and the perfect amount of milk to wash down the
cookies, then I might say, "This is Good." meaning I could die here and
my life would have been fulfilled up until the time I died here! Hey,
put down that knife! I didn't know it was the LAST chocolate strawberry
truffle pistachio caramel shortbread! Honeeeeeeeessssttt....
arrrgggg....
--
ArWeTailWaggingHappy |
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