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A Ljeonjko Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Usage of singular and plural form

Hi there.

Basically, one wikia page's moderators insist on using plural form of "seasons" in instances like: "The character appeared in the first, second and fifth seasons." Now, if my teachings were right, the correct form should be "season", as it, trivially, refres to just one season rather than a set of seasons. I'd just like a confirmation on this.

Thank you. Emotion: smile
  

Top answer

I don't see any barrier to understanding with either version. Both 'season' and 'seasons' are acceptable to me. CJ

— CalifJim

  • I don't see any barrier to understanding with either version.
  • Both 'season' and 'seasons' are acceptable to me.
  • CJ
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9 Answers
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I don't see any barrier to understanding with either version. Both 'season' and 'seasons' are acceptable to me.

CJ
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But wouldn't "The character appeared in the first, second and fifth seasons." imply that there are more seasons that have been aired simultaneously, as in Season Six A, Season Six B etc.?
Take: "The character appeared in the first, second and fifth season." This is the contracted equivalent of "The character appeared in the first season, in the second season and in the fifth season." That, as
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a LjeonjkoBut wouldn't "The character appeared in the first, second and fifth seasons." imply that there are more seasons that have been aired simultaneously, as in Season Six A, Season Six B etc.?
No.
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fivejedjonNo.
Why? How?

"If an ordinal is followed by a plural noun, the two word phrase refers to a set of items described by the phrase in singular. For example second homes refers to a set of homes which are considered a "second home."
Many households have third cars."
source:
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We are not talking of the second seasons and the fifth seasons but of the second season and the fifth season - the (second and fifth) seasons.
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fivejedjonWe are not talking of the second seasons and the fifth seasons but of the second season and the fifth season
This works because you are aware of the fact that there exists only one season per year (for the sake of the argument). Someone without prior knowledge would be inclined to think there are more than one season in each airing event, wouldn't t
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a LjeonjkoSomeone without prior knowledge would be inclined to think there is more than one season in each airing event, wouldn't they?
Why should they?
a LjeonjkoThis doesn't sound wrong to you when said out loud?
No.
a LjeonjkoAren't ordinal number supposed to pinpoint a single event or objec
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fivejedjonThe point here is that with first, second and fifth we are talking about seasons. Here's a similar case:The first, second and fourth men to run a mile in under four minutes were all English.
It doesn't look like a valied example, since it "forces" plural with "were all English".

Take a look at these examples:

"I own the blue, the ye
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a LjeonjkoIt doesn't look like a valied example, since it "forces" plural with "were all English".
Drop the 'all' then.

Or: |I was at Oxford with the first, second and fourth men to run a mile in under four minutes.
a Ljeonjko"I own the blue, the yellow and the red car." --> explicitly refering to three solid-coloured
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