"His thesis was a seven-sentence construction." Thesis = singular; was + singulat =Scott Catledge -------------------------------------------------- From: "ATEG automatic digest system" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 12:00 AM To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: ATEG Digest - 13 Nov 2011 to 14 Nov 2011 (#2011-199) > There is 1 message totalling 71 lines in this issue. > > Topics of the day: > > 1. plural or not? > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface > at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:41:49 -0500 > From: "Hancock, Craig G" <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: plural or not? > > I think even with a single plural number in front of it, the > construct= > ion would be singular. "His thesis was a seven sentence construction." All > = > this starts with "a". We simply think of it as a single entity > (constructio= > n) made up of more than one sentence. "There are seven sentences in his > sev= > en sentence construction."=20 > I'm reading so much cognitive stuff that's it's hard for me not to > fall= > into that language. We can conceive of the thesis as a single entity even > = > when it has more than one part. The language harmonizes with that.=20 > > Craig > > -----Original Message----- > From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar > [mailto:[log in to unmask] > OHIO.EDU] On Behalf Of Scott Lavitt > Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 1:59 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: plural or not? > > Should be singular because it is a hyphenated adjective (one- or > two-senten= > ce) modifying the now condensation. > > Scott Lavitt > > --- On Sun, 11/13/11, Jan Kammert <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> From: Jan Kammert <[log in to unmask]> >> Subject: plural or not? >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Date: Sunday, November 13, 2011, 10:39 AM Is the sentence >>=20 >> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 >> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 A thesis >> statement is a one or two sentence condensation of an argument. >> grammatically correct? >>=20 >> If so, why is the word sentence singular?=A0 If the word should be=20 >> sentences (with an s), why? >>=20 >> Thanks! >> Jan >>=20 >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web=20 >> interface at: >> =A0 =A0 http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html >> and select "Join or leave the list" >>=20 >> Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ >>=20 > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface > = > at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface > at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > ------------------------------ > > End of ATEG Digest - 13 Nov 2011 to 14 Nov 2011 (#2011-199) > *********************************************************** > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/