0
Bairuode Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
0.4 seconds
To anyone who can help:
If it is correct to say "every second", why is the "s" added to "every 0.4 seconds"?
Why isn't it 0.4 second?
Many thanks!
If it is correct to say "every second", why is the "s" added to "every 0.4 seconds"?
Why isn't it 0.4 second?
Many thanks!
Top answer
"4/four" is plural. It represents more than one, so the noun it modifies must also be plural. 4 seconds)
- "4/four" is plural.
- It represents more than one, so the noun it modifies must also be plural.
- 4 seconds)
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11 Answers
0
"4/four" is plural. It represents more than one, so the noun it modifies must also be plural. It requires an -s:
four dogs
four pencils
four seconds
zero point four seconds (0.4 seconds)
four dogs
four pencils
four seconds
zero point four seconds (0.4 seconds)
00
And it depends on how you 'say' it: 'four tenths of a second' is also correct.
Welcome to English Forums, Bairuode.
Welcome to English Forums, Bairuode.
00
I'm inclined to say that English has two "numbers" -- not the traditional "singular" and "plural" but "singular" and "non-singular". Anything that does not represent one single thing takes the non-singular.
0.4 is not one thing (just a part of a thing), so it takes a noun marked non-singular (if the noun is a count noun).
"no" is also not one thing (but none at all),
0.4 is not one thing (just a part of a thing), so it takes a noun marked non-singular (if the noun is a count noun).
"no" is also not one thing (but none at all),
00
Hello
I remember people were talking on 'Ask Dr Math' about how to 'count' 0.6 apple(s) and 1.7 apple(s). It was five years ago and so my memory has got quite vague, but as far as I can remember, what they were saying was that English people say 0.6 apple and 1.7 apples, while French people say 0.6 apple and 1.7 apple.
paco
I remember people were talking on 'Ask Dr Math' about how to 'count' 0.6 apple(s) and 1.7 apple(s). It was five years ago and so my memory has got quite vague, but as far as I can remember, what they were saying was that English people say 0.6 apple and 1.7 apples, while French people say 0.6 apple and 1.7 apple.
paco
00
0
.0
Hello
I made a Google survey for the choice between X and Xs.
For the values less than one, it appears to depend on personal preference.
0.1 mile/miles per .. : 223/148 0.1 hour/hours and .. : 98/109
0.5 mile/miles per .. : 136/264 0.5 hour/hours and .. : 468/635
1.1 mile/miles per .. : 13/161 1.1 hour/hours and .. : 16/195
1.7 mile/miles p
I made a Google survey for the choice between X and Xs.
For the values less than one, it appears to depend on personal preference.
0.1 mile/miles per .. : 223/148 0.1 hour/hours and .. : 98/109
0.5 mile/miles per .. : 136/264 0.5 hour/hours and .. : 468/635
1.1 mile/miles per .. : 13/161 1.1 hour/hours and .. : 16/195
1.7 mile/miles p
00
Hello Paco
0.1 mile/hour and 0.5 hour are interesting results.
0.1 mile/hour – by proximity?
0.5 hour – because we think 'half an hour'?
MrP
0.1 mile/hour and 0.5 hour are interesting results.
0.1 mile/hour – by proximity?
0.5 hour – because we think 'half an hour'?
MrP
00
Hello Mr P
Yes I think you are right.
I did a new survey and the results were :
0.7 mile/miles per...:10/55 and
0.7 hour/hourd ..:17/99.
This sounds to indicate the proximity actually works on the choice.
But the proximity's influence seems not so strong in the case 0.1 and 1.1.
Is it because you say rather 'one tenth' than 'point
Yes I think you are right.
I did a new survey and the results were :
0.7 mile/miles per...:10/55 and
0.7 hour/hourd ..:17/99.
This sounds to indicate the proximity actually works on the choice.
But the proximity's influence seems not so strong in the case 0.1 and 1.1.
Is it because you say rather 'one tenth' than 'point
00
Hello Paco
It seems to me as if the feeling we have against saying 'miles/hours' after '1' (e.g. 223/148, 98/109 for 0.1) starts to disappear, once the figure itself is obviously greater than 1.
What a pity we can't do graphs on here.
MrP
It seems to me as if the feeling we have against saying 'miles/hours' after '1' (e.g. 223/148, 98/109 for 0.1) starts to disappear, once the figure itself is obviously greater than 1.
What a pity we can't do graphs on here.
MrP
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