singular /plural

Question

I have no right to make a demand/demands on his time.
It's impossible to eat an apple/apples in this season.
I can't hear a sound/ sounds.

Those are some negative sentences, should I use singular or plural ?

Grammarfreak · Accepted Answer

The sentences don't sound very natural to me. Consider these versions:

CharmYouI can't hear a sound This is fine.

CharmYouI have no right to demand of his time.

CharmYouIt's impossible to find any [sweet ] apple to eat this time of the year. To eat - can't be omitted.

GPY · Answer

CharmYouI have no right to make a demand/demands on his time.

Both are possible, and they mean about the same, but the plural would be more common.

CharmYouIt's impossible to eat an apple/apples in this season.

Both seem possible, but I'm wondering what the context of this is, and whether it is the right thing to say at all. Why is it impossible to do that?

CharmYouI can't hear a sound/ sounds.

"I can't hear a sound" means that everything is silent, as far as you can detect.

"I can't hear sounds" would probably imply that something is wrong with your hearing. However, it is not a likely way to express that, and "sounds" seems redundant (since everything that one hears is a sound of some sort).

singular /plural

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