Tricky situation: "is" vs "are" (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Tricky situation: "is" vs "are"
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Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

29 messages over 4 pages: 1 2 3 4 Next >>

Woodpecker
Triglot
Senior Member
United States
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Speaks: English*, Arabic (Written), Arabic (Egyptian)
Studies: Arabic (classical)

Message 9 of 29

16 March 2010 at 7:53pm | IP Logged

In English, we simply don't put plurals next to "is" like that, some other word being assumed or not. "Languages is," "cats is," "schools of thought is," etc. They all sound absurd.
1 person has voted this message useful

Paskwc
Pentaglot
Senior Member
Canada
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Speaks: Hindi, Urdu*, Arabic (Levantine), French, English
Studies: Persian, Spanish

Message 10 of 29

16 March 2010 at 7:57pm | IP Logged

Volte wrote:

You can also say "wine is my hobby" if you collect wine, "cars are my hobby", and so
forth.

If wine is your hobby, do you enjoy collecting it, drinking it, or making it? To avoid
ambiguity, there should be some sort of reference to an action.
1 person has voted this message useful

Volte
Tetraglot
Senior Member
Switzerland
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Message 11 of 29

16 March 2010 at 7:58pm | IP Logged

Paskwc wrote:

Volte wrote:

You can also say "wine is my hobby" if you collect wine, "cars are my hobby", and so
forth.

If wine is your hobby, do you enjoy collecting it, drinking it, or making it? To avoid
ambiguity, there should be some sort of reference to an action.

It could be any of those. Natural language is ambiguous, especially without context.

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Volte
Tetraglot
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Switzerland
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Message 12 of 29

16 March 2010 at 8:05pm | IP Logged

Woodpecker wrote:

In English, we simply don't put plurals next to "is" like that, some other word being assumed or not. "Languages is," "cats is," "schools of thought is," etc. They all sound absurd.

If only it were so simple.

I certainly say "Mathematics is fun, and physics is fun too".
2 persons have voted this message useful

Paskwc
Pentaglot
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5677 days ago
450 posts - 624 votes

Speaks: Hindi, Urdu*, Arabic (Levantine), French, English
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Message 13 of 29

16 March 2010 at 8:05pm | IP Logged

Volte wrote:

Paskwc wrote:

If wine is your hobby, do you enjoy collecting it, drinking it, or making it? To avoid
ambiguity, there should be some sort of reference to an action.

It could be any of those. Natural language is ambiguous, especially without context.

Yes, but within the context of hobbies, we're discussing activities and this sort of
ambiguity needn't be. Anyways, I think we've reached an impasse.
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datsunking1
Diglot
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United States
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Message 14 of 29

16 March 2010 at 10:52pm | IP Logged

You know it's bad when you get confused with the grammar of your own native language (...cough.....)
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sik0fewl
Newbie
Canada
Joined 5494 days ago
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Speaks: English*
Studies: French

Message 15 of 29

17 March 2010 at 4:03am | IP Logged

Paskwc wrote:

Volte wrote:

You can also say "wine is my hobby" if you collect wine, "cars are my hobby", and so
forth.

If wine is your hobby, do you enjoy collecting it, drinking it, or making it? To avoid
ambiguity, there should be some sort of reference to an action.

Volte is absolutely right. You're right about it being ambiguous, but that doesn't make it "wrong". In fact, there are lots of things about the English language that are ambiguous :).

2 persons have voted this message useful

Woodpecker
Triglot
Senior Member
United States
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Speaks: English*, Arabic (Written), Arabic (Egyptian)
Studies: Arabic (classical)

Message 16 of 29

17 March 2010 at 8:02am | IP Logged

Volte wrote:

Woodpecker wrote:

In English, we simply don't put plurals next to "is" like that, some other word being assumed or not. "Languages is," "cats is," "schools of thought is," etc. They all sound absurd.

If only it were so simple.

I certainly say "Mathematics is fun, and physics is fun too".

I mentioned collectives in one of my previous posts, but that's not really relevant to what I was trying to say. Mathematics, for all intents and purposes, behaves like a singular in English. I was specifically referring to the concept that because we're talking about [Studying] languages, that one would use a singular verb. Nobody would assume the studying if it wasn't actually there. Ever.

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