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Fuchsia Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Why is this singular?


Emulsifiers are food additives that extend the shelf life of processed foods.
Could you tell me the reason why "shelf life" isn't "shelf lives"?
Processed foods
A processed food?the shelf life
A processed food?the shelf life
A processed food?the shelf life
A processed food?the shelf life
.........

Then, isn't "the shelf lives of processed food" proper? Thanks in advance!

The sentence is quoted from http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/emulsifiers-in-food-linked-to-obesity-in-mice /
  

Top answer

fuchsia Then, isn't "the shelf lives of processed food" proper? You could, but it is not the practice where one shelf life per product is common knowledge. Compare: The policeman shot them all in the head.

— Mister Micawber

  • fuchsia Then, isn't "the shelf lives of processed food" proper?
  • You could, but it is not the practice where one shelf life per product is common knowledge.
  • Compare: The policeman shot them all in the head.
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3 Answers
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fuchsiaThen, isn't "the shelf lives of processed food" proper?
You could, but it is not the practice where one shelf life per product is common knowledge. Compare:

The policeman shot them all in the head.
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I'm very sorry, but I can't quite understand what you're driving at, especially "the practice". Could you tell me what the "practice" means in your sentence?
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fuchsia Could you tell me what the "practice" means in your sentence?
The usual (grammatical) method used.
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