Plurality of eyes as features/as a feature.

Question

I was told that the phrase "Your eyes are wonderful features" is incorrect and corrected it to "Your eyes are a wonderful feature."

I feel like both are reasonable. Are either of these phrases grammatically incorrect? How and why?

thank you,

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

AnonymousAre either of these phrases grammatically incorrect?

Be careful how you use the word "grammatical". All sorts of things are grammatical that don't make sense or sound awkward.

Your three noses are quite artistically placed on the top of your head is grammatical.

Both of your examples are grammatically correct, but we would say "Your eyes are a wonderful feature". We would consider the eyes a single feature, the lips a single feature, the ears a single feature of the face. If the human body were so arranged that, for example, one eye might be located under the nose and another in the back of the neck, or any number of other geometries were possible where the location of one eye was independent of the location of the other, then perhaps we would think of each eye as a separate feature. But that's not how it works.

CJ

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I was told that the phrase "Your eyes are wonderful features" is incorrect and corrected it to "Your eyes are a wonderful feature."

I feel like both are reasonable. Are either of these phrases grammatically incorrect? How and why?

"Your eyes are wonderful features" I wouldn't say this is wrong, but it's uncommon.
It makes me wonder if you might say, about the next person,
eg Your left eye is a wonderful feature.

In other words, in discussing features we usually think of the eyes as a pair.

"Your eyes are a wonderful feature." This sounds better.

But really, the most idiomatic thing to say is simply 'Your eyes are wonderful"..

Clive

Plurality of eyes as features/as a feature.

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