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Reegis Posted 10 years ago
Grammar
Most women have no idea how to change the spark plugs in their car(s).
Hello.
Which of the sentences below is correct?
1) Most women have no idea how to change the spark plugs in their car.
2) Most women have no idea how to change the spark plugs in their cars.
Of course the intended meaning is that each woman has her own car.
The background of this question is that today I came across 1) and it made me wonder why 'car' is in the singular. To my mind, it sounds like all these women would share one car together...
Which of the sentences below is correct?
1) Most women have no idea how to change the spark plugs in their car.
2) Most women have no idea how to change the spark plugs in their cars.
Of course the intended meaning is that each woman has her own car.
The background of this question is that today I came across 1) and it made me wonder why 'car' is in the singular. To my mind, it sounds like all these women would share one car together...
Top answer
Reegis To my mind, it sounds like all these women would share one car together... But then the second one might sound like each of these women has more than one car. , each woman (among 'most women') has her car.
- Reegis To my mind, it sounds like all these women would share one car together...
- But then the second one might sound like each of these women has more than one car.
- , each woman (among 'most women') has her car.
- To the outsider English may seem a little untidy in these matters.
- We just try to use common sense to disambiguate these cases.
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7 Answers
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ReegisTo my mind, it sounds like all these women would share one car together...But then the second one might sound like each of these women has more than one car.
You can't win — unless you take the singular as distributive, i.e., each woman (among 'most women') has her car.
To the outsider English may seem a little untidy in these matters.
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CalifJimBut then the second one might sound like each of these women has more than one car.Yeah, you are right! I didn't notice it earlier... So, as you say, I can't win
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In terms of meaning, I think most men today also don't know how to change spark plugs.
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Use a diesel engine and you'll never have to change the spark plugs. 
CJ
CJ
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CliveIn terms of meaning, I think most men today also don't know how to change spark plugs.Yeah, completely agree. By the way, I am not the author of that sentence
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