its lows

Question

The number of cities with falling prices, as well as property price inflation, has reached its lows since early 2013.

I think in this sentence the 'lows' here means the lowest point. Right? But why is it used in the plural form? Is it an idiomatic way?

Dave_anon · Accepted Answer

Hi

Yes, it is idiomatic for 'lowest point'. It's a good question why it is used in the plural, but it can be. Perhaps the writer is not referring to just one moment when an exact low is reached. The idea may be that property prices are bumping along the bottom, reaching a number of lows

Dave

Rpsh · Answer

Got it, thank you!

Clive · Answer

To me, its lows makes no sense here.
Only its lowest makes sense. (ie its lowest point)

In other words, it is an error.

Clive

Dave_anon · Answer

Hi Clive!

You need to get on the blower to the Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/articles/eurozone-inflation-remains-at-record-lows-1410945335

Dave

Dave_anon · Answer

... having said that, I wonder if it's because the subject is in the plural. More than one city is experiencing a low in property prices; more than one Eurozone country has low inflation

Dave

Dave_anon · Answer

... no, I really don't think so. Each of us goes through our lows, plural or singular

Dave

Clive · Answer

Hi Dave,
Here's my point of view.

When I said To me, its lows makes no sense here I was careful to say 'here'. I didn't mean you could never use the term its lows. Your link is fine, of course. We often speak of prices reaching record lows.

But in the sentence we are discussing, the subject is 'the number of cities', not 'the cities' and not 'prices'. In my experience, we don't commonly speak of 'a number' reaching its lows.

Something about the past perfect tense + since also suggests to me that the reference is to the singular 'lowest point' and not to the plural 'lows'. But the tense is perhaps another topic.

Clive

Rpsh · Answer

You are so insightful! Actually, this sentence is quoted from an article written by a Chinese. And I've found some other unidiomatic expressions. So 'low', as you said, should be used to describe an entity, e.g. a city, a person, etc. Right?

Dave_anon · Answer

Hi

I probabIy agree with you. I think it's also different if we are referring to people rather than numbers:

- His acting career went through the lows in the 1970s

Dave

-

Dave_anon · Answer

Although the singular works well there too:

- 'My heart's in the basement, my weekend's an all time low'

Dave

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