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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Use of plural
Hello,
I hope you can help with the following query that I have...
"Hi Everyone,
Could you please send your mobile phone number to me by responding to this email."
Now, my question is this: should the 'number' in the above be singular or plural?
The dilemma I have is that I only want one number from each person. However, I am addressing many people and I will (I hope) receive many numbers.
Martin
I hope you can help with the following query that I have...
"Hi Everyone,
Could you please send your mobile phone number to me by responding to this email."
Now, my question is this: should the 'number' in the above be singular or plural?
The dilemma I have is that I only want one number from each person. However, I am addressing many people and I will (I hope) receive many numbers.
Martin
Top answer
Hi, I hope you can help with the following query that I have... " Now, my question is this: should the 'number' in the above be singular or plural? The dilemma I have is that I only want one number from each person.
- Hi, I hope you can help with the following query that I have...
- " Now, my question is this: should the 'number' in the above be singular or plural?
- The dilemma I have is that I only want one number from each person.
- However, I am addressing many people and I will (I hope) receive many numbers.
- I don't think people are as stupid as you are assuming they are.
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5 Answers
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Hi,
I hope you can help with the following query that I have...
"Hi Everyone,
Could you please send your mobile phone number to me by responding to this email."
Now, my question is this: should the 'number' in the above be singular or plural?
The dilemma I have is that I only want one number from each person. However, I am addressing many
I hope you can help with the following query that I have...
"Hi Everyone,
Could you please send your mobile phone number to me by responding to this email."
Now, my question is this: should the 'number' in the above be singular or plural?
The dilemma I have is that I only want one number from each person. However, I am addressing many
00
If 'you' is plural it should, technically, be numbers, unless they all share a single number as a group. You could treat 'you' as singular as well, addressing each person individually in the email.
As always, if you can explain to us here what you mean in writing, then I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to in that email. What keeps you from adding a second sentence saying so
As always, if you can explain to us here what you mean in writing, then I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to in that email. What keeps you from adding a second sentence saying so
00
You want only one number from each person. So I suggest: "Could you please send one of your mobile phone numbers by email." Sincerely, James.
00
Clive,
Many thanks for your comments. Just to clarify, my friends would of course know what I am asking for, whether I use the singular or plural. I'm just a perfectionist and like to know what the gramatically correct/accepted way of writing is. This query may well arise in another situation where it might not be so obvious whether I'm asking for one or for more than one.
Best wishes,
Many thanks for your comments. Just to clarify, my friends would of course know what I am asking for, whether I use the singular or plural. I'm just a perfectionist and like to know what the gramatically correct/accepted way of writing is. This query may well arise in another situation where it might not be so obvious whether I'm asking for one or for more than one.
Best wishes,
00
ferdis,
Many thanks for your comments. That's a good point about just adding an extra sentence or two to explain. As with Clive though, what I really wanted to know was the grammatically correct use of the plural when referring to one item (in this case a phone number) from each item (a person) in a group. You answered that in your first paragraph. Thanks again.
Martin
Many thanks for your comments. That's a good point about just adding an extra sentence or two to explain. As with Clive though, what I really wanted to know was the grammatically correct use of the plural when referring to one item (in this case a phone number) from each item (a person) in a group. You answered that in your first paragraph. Thanks again.
Martin
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