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Ethanw Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Singular or plural

0In a sea food market, if I want to buy more than one of each of the following sea animals, I believe I shall use plural forms, such as:02br
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00I want some 00squids (oyster00s, 00clams,00 shrimps, 00lobsters, or 00crabs).02br
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00But in a restaurant, when I want to order a dish of one of the above sea food, shall I say:02br
02br
00Can I have some squids (oyster00s, 00clams,00 shrimps, 00lobsters, or 00crabs00) ? Or shall I use singular forms, as they are taken as food? But a dish of lobster may have only one lobster, however, a dish of oyster and shripms would definitely have more than one.02br
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Top answer

12br 12br 10But in a restaurant, when I want to order a dish of one of the above sea food, shall I say:12br 12br 10Can I have some squids (oyster10s, 10clams,10 shrimps, 10lobsters, or 10crabs10) ? Or shall I use singular forms, as they are taken as food? 12br 11font 10Plural form is fine for oysters and clams.

— Philip

  • 12br 12br 10But in a restaurant, when I want to order a dish of one of the above sea food, shall I say:12br 12br 10Can I have some squids (oyster10s, 10clams,10 shrimps, 10lobsters, or 10crabs10) ?
  • Or shall I use singular forms, as they are taken as food?
  • 12br 11font 10Plural form is fine for oysters and clams.
  • k.
  • But the others should be singular.
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9 Answers
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Ethanw12cite12br
10In a sea food market, if I want to buy more than one of each of the following sea animals, I believe I shall use plural forms, such as:12br
12br
10I want some 10squids (oyster10s, 10clams,10 shrimps, 10lobsters, or 10crabs).12br
12br
10But
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0Hi, Philip.02br
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00Thank you very much for your reply. But is your answer good for my first problem: can plural forms be used for all of them if I use these names to refer to the sea creatures themselves?0-
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0Hi philip:02br
02br
01font00You say in your last post:00 02font01font00Plural form is fine for oysters and clams. Shrimp01u00s02u00 is o.k. 02font00Can it be interpreted as: Singular form is also OK for 01font00oysters, clams and shrimps
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Ethanw12cite12br
10 can plural forms be used for all of them if I use these names to refer to the sea creatures themselves?12br
12br
12blockquote
10Acceptable plural forms of 01i00squid02i00 are-- 01i00squid02i00 and 01i00squids.
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0The plural of shrimp is shrimp(s).02br
02br
00The word 01i00lobster02i00 is uncountable when it refers to the flesh of a lobster.02br
02br
00The word 01i00crab02i00 is also uncountable when it refers to the flesh.0-
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My general usage for pluralization is as follows:
Clams
Oysters
Shrimp
Lobster
Crab
Scallops
Squid

The only one on that list that I know would be grammatically incorrect by adding the "S" would be lobster. The rest, aside from maybe oyster and clam, are acceptable in either form. I personally detest the usage of shrimps, squids, crabs; the first two due to the
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I searched this first and came across this forum and then decided to add my conclusion. I feel when eating most should be left out, such as beef, chicken and pork would never be beefs, chickens and porks...just like fish. Now when you go out to buy you would say, a kg of shrimp, just the same. I feel crabs would be different. You go to buy full crabs you would say two crabs or a couple crabs. I
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TeoThe plural of shrimp is shrimp.The word lobster is uncountable when it refers to the flesh of a lobster.The word crab is also uncountable when it refers to the flesh.
According to the Collins Cobuild Dictionary, 'shrimp' is countable. The example provided is as follows.
Shrimps are small shellfish with long tails and many legs.
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Anonymous My general usage for pluralization is as follows:ClamsOystersShrimpLobsterCrabScallopsSquidThe only one on that list that I know would be grammatically incorrect by adding the "S" would be lobster. The rest, aside from maybe oyster and clam, are acceptable in either form. I personally detest the usage of shrimps, squids, crabs; the first two
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