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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
To pluralize or not to pluralize?
Here is an example of a problem I've been working on:
"Senecio aquaticus has become increasingly abundant in agricultural grassland of medium to high management intensity in Switzerland."
I've seen published (peer-reviewed) papers that pluralize the word "grassland," and some that do not. I can't find a rule that says "grassland," should be plural, however it seems like it should be. The arguement could be made that this is a general term collectively describing grasslands and should be plural. However, another arguement could be that the term "agricultural grassland," is an ecological label for a type of grassland, and could therefore be singular.
Is there a rule I'm missing or is this a stylistic problem that can go either way?
"Senecio aquaticus has become increasingly abundant in agricultural grassland of medium to high management intensity in Switzerland."
I've seen published (peer-reviewed) papers that pluralize the word "grassland," and some that do not. I can't find a rule that says "grassland," should be plural, however it seems like it should be. The arguement could be made that this is a general term collectively describing grasslands and should be plural. However, another arguement could be that the term "agricultural grassland," is an ecological label for a type of grassland, and could therefore be singular.
Is there a rule I'm missing or is this a stylistic problem that can go either way?
Top answer
Anonymous can go either way? Yes. My preference, if you want to know, is in agreement with your idea that the term is an ecological label for a type of grassland, so I would stick with the singular.
- Anonymous can go either way?
- Yes.
- My preference, if you want to know, is in agreement with your idea that the term is an ecological label for a type of grassland, so I would stick with the singular.
- The choice is yours, however.
- CJ
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1 Answers
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Anonymouscan go either way?Yes. My preference, if you want to know, is in agreement with your idea that the term is an ecological label for a type of grassland, so I would stick with the singular. The choice is yours, however.
CJ
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