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Guest Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
"to" or not "to", "birthday" or "birthdays",why?
The following sentences:
What present do you usually give your parents for their birthday?
What presents do you usually give your parents for their birthday?
What present do you usually give to your parents for their birthday?
What presents do you usually give to your parents for their birthday?
What present do you usually give your parents for their birthdays?
What presents do you usually give your parents for their birthdays?
What present do you usually give to your parents for their birthdays?
What presents do you usually give to your parents for their birthdays?
Which of the above sentences are correct? Does "birthdays" mean my parents' every birthday or my mother's birthday and my father's birthday? I would appreciate your help.
What present do you usually give your parents for their birthday?
What presents do you usually give your parents for their birthday?
What present do you usually give to your parents for their birthday?
What presents do you usually give to your parents for their birthday?
What present do you usually give your parents for their birthdays?
What presents do you usually give your parents for their birthdays?
What present do you usually give to your parents for their birthdays?
What presents do you usually give to your parents for their birthdays?
Which of the above sentences are correct? Does "birthdays" mean my parents' every birthday or my mother's birthday and my father's birthday? I would appreciate your help.
Top answer
All are possible. (1) The ones with singular 'present' are unrealistic because we would give our parents different presents each year. (2) The ones with plural 'birthdays' are preferable to the ones with singular 'birthday' because the modifier should normally match the number of the noun, in this case 'parents'; however it is not confusing here, because it is shared knowledge that each person has one birthday per year.
- All are possible.
- (1) The ones with singular 'present' are unrealistic because we would give our parents different presents each year.
- (2) The ones with plural 'birthdays' are preferable to the ones with singular 'birthday' because the modifier should normally match the number of the noun, in this case 'parents'; however it is not confusing here, because it is shared knowledge that each person has one birthday per year.
- (3) The 'to' can be and often is omitted when it is used to introduce the indirect object.
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1 Answers
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All are possible.
(1) The ones with singular 'present' are unrealistic because we would give our parents different presents each year.
(2) The ones with plural 'birthdays' are preferable to the ones with singular 'birthday' because the modifier should normally match the number of the noun, in this case 'parents'; however it is not confusing here, because it is shared knowledge
(1) The ones with singular 'present' are unrealistic because we would give our parents different presents each year.
(2) The ones with plural 'birthdays' are preferable to the ones with singular 'birthday' because the modifier should normally match the number of the noun, in this case 'parents'; however it is not confusing here, because it is shared knowledge
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