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Usenet Posted 16 years ago
Usage
Question about compound noun phrase
1)Chuck Norris=92s left and right fist are deadly weapons
2) Chuck Norris=92s left and right fists are deadly weapons
It seems to me that 1)=97with fist singular=97is grammatically correct because the conjoined adjectives expand out to =91left fist and right fist=92, which is the required meaning. Why then does 2) =97 with fists plural=97 =93sound=94 better? After all, it expands to the incorrect =91lef= t
fists and right fists=92, implying a four-handed Mr Norris!
cf Mr Smith is Chuck Norris=92s and my friend
Chuck Norris=92s and my friend know each other.
Thanks
Simon G
Melbourne, Australia
2) Chuck Norris=92s left and right fists are deadly weapons
It seems to me that 1)=97with fist singular=97is grammatically correct because the conjoined adjectives expand out to =91left fist and right fist=92, which is the required meaning. Why then does 2) =97 with fists plural=97 =93sound=94 better? After all, it expands to the incorrect =91lef= t
fists and right fists=92, implying a four-handed Mr Norris!
cf Mr Smith is Chuck Norris=92s and my friend
Chuck Norris=92s and my friend know each other.
Thanks
Simon G
Melbourne, Australia
Top answer
s left and right fists are deadly weapons It ... s and my friend know each other. Thanks Simon G Melbourne, Australia[/nq] Your ears are right: sentence 1 isn't grammatically correct, and if it were his feet rather than his fists, we'd get ' left and right foot are deadly weapons', which sounds even worse.
- s left and right fists are deadly weapons It ...
- s and my friend know each other.
- Thanks Simon G Melbourne, Australia[/nq] Your ears are right: sentence 1 isn't grammatically correct, and if it were his feet rather than his fists, we'd get ' left and right foot are deadly weapons', which sounds even worse.
- I don't think your expanding (out) is a useful exercise.
- 'A railway between the French and English capitals' doesn't imply 'French capitals and English capitals' at all.
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1 Answers
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[nq:1]1)Chuck Norris?s left and right fist are deadly weapons 2) Chuck Norris?s left and right fists are deadly weapons It ... Smith is Chuck Norris?s and my friend Chuck Norris?s and my friend know each other. Thanks Simon G Melbourne, Australia[/nq]
Your ears are right: sentence 1 isn't grammatically correct, and if it were his feet rather than his fists, we'd get ' left
[nq:1]1)Chuck Norris?s left and right fist are deadly weapons 2) Chuck Norris?s left and right fists are deadly weapons It ... Smith is Chuck Norris?s and my friend Chuck Norris?s and my friend know each other. Thanks Simon G Melbourne, Australia[/nq]
Your ears are right: sentence 1 isn't grammatically correct, and if it were his feet rather than his fists, we'd get ' left
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