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Andrei Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Offspring
The Duyan family defy the cliches held by many Germans about the Turkish community living here - which centre on kebab shops, manual labourers, and Islamic headscarves.
"The integration debate in Germany has come too late. Both sides, German and Turkish, haven't done their homework," he says.
"The Germans thought that 'guest-workers' would come for a few years and then go home. We thought the same thing ourselves."
There are now more than 2.5 million Turks or people of Turkish origin living in Germany, most of them the "guest-workers" and their offspring.
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To say most of them are guest-workers is correct. However, to say most of them are guest-workers and their offspring is wrong.
It should be offsprings. What do you think? The noun offspring is countable to the best of my knowledge of English.
"The integration debate in Germany has come too late. Both sides, German and Turkish, haven't done their homework," he says.
"The Germans thought that 'guest-workers' would come for a few years and then go home. We thought the same thing ourselves."
There are now more than 2.5 million Turks or people of Turkish origin living in Germany, most of them the "guest-workers" and their offspring.
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To say most of them are guest-workers is correct. However, to say most of them are guest-workers and their offspring is wrong.
It should be offsprings. What do you think? The noun offspring is countable to the best of my knowledge of English.
Top answer
Hi Andrei 'Offspring' is a collective noun. It is always used in a singular form 'offspring' even when it connotes plural 'children' or 'descendants'. paco
- Hi Andrei 'Offspring' is a collective noun.
- It is always used in a singular form 'offspring' even when it connotes plural 'children' or 'descendants'.
- paco
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3 Answers
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Hi Andrei
'Offspring' is a collective noun. It is always used in a singular form 'offspring' even when it connotes plural 'children' or 'descendants'.
paco
'Offspring' is a collective noun. It is always used in a singular form 'offspring' even when it connotes plural 'children' or 'descendants'.
paco
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Paco 2004
It is a countable noun. It means you and I can talk about the pluraity. In any case, I would not argue with you over the answer. There are some exceptions.
It is a countable noun. It means you and I can talk about the pluraity. In any case, I would not argue with you over the answer. There are some exceptions.
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To speak frankly I don't feel quite happy with your response but you don't mind it.
It's OK if you believe you can use a word "offsprings". Actually some people use it.
But I'd like to paste here what my dictionary (OED) says.
offspring
1. The progeny which springs or is descended from some one; children or young (or, more widely, descendants) collectively; p
It's OK if you believe you can use a word "offsprings". Actually some people use it.
But I'd like to paste here what my dictionary (OED) says.
offspring
1. The progeny which springs or is descended from some one; children or young (or, more widely, descendants) collectively; p
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