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03-Dec-2003, 16:38
|  | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
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Current Location: North Carolina Native Language: English Member Type: Other | |
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Stunz1 Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea Quote: |
Originally Posted by CitySpeak Which one is correct?
1. Two thirds of the cake has been eaten.
2. Two thirds of the cake have been eaten. | Two thirds have been eaten. (OK)
Two thirds of the population are Chinese. (OK)
Note:
One third are Chinese. (OK)
copular verb: X = Y. (X and Y must agree in number.)
Since "Chinese" is plural here, 'One third' is plural, too.
:D | I'd say:
Two thirds of the biscuits have been eaten.
But:
Two thirds of the cake has been eaten.
To me it seems to depend on whether the "two thirds" is countable or not. | I agree.
:D |
04-Dec-2003, 09:08
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Sep 2003 Country: Canada
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Current Location: China Native Language: English Member Type: Other | |
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Stunz1
I'd say:
Two thirds of the biscuits have been eaten.
But:
Two thirds of the cake has been eaten.
To me it seems to depend on whether the "two thirds" is countable or not.
| But, biscuits and cakes are countable.
Notice that "biscuits" is plural (it has -s), so it takes a plural verb, 'have'; "cake" is singular (it doesn't have -s), so it takes a singular verb, 'is.
:D |
04-Dec-2003, 12:09
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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Current Location: Tokyo Native Language: English Member Type: English Teacher | |
If you're on a diet, you might say that two-thirds of the biscuit has been eaten.  |
04-Dec-2003, 12:26
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Sep 2003 Country: Canada
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol If you're on a diet, you might say that two-thirds of the biscuit has been eaten. | :D cute :D
________
biscuit has
biscuits have
The biscuit's two-thirds has been eaten. :wink: |
04-Dec-2003, 12:36
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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Current Location: Tokyo Native Language: English Member Type: English Teacher | |
Not that cute to the poor dieter struggling to put the remaining third aside for later on. |
04-Dec-2003, 19:42
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea Quote: |
Originally Posted by Stunz1
I'd say:
Two thirds of the biscuits have been eaten.
But:
Two thirds of the cake has been eaten.
To me it seems to depend on whether the "two thirds" is countable or not.
| But, biscuits and cakes are countable.
Notice that "biscuits" is plural (it has -s), so it takes a plural verb, 'have'; "cake" is singular (it doesn't have -s), so it takes a singular verb, 'is.
:D | That is certainly true. What I thought he meant was that since you can't say three cake that you say a third of the cake has been eaten or a third of the cakes have been eaten.
Hm. You are right, of course.
:) |
04-Dec-2003, 21:54
| | Editor, UsingEnglish.com | | Join Date: Nov 2002 Country: UK
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Current Location: Tokyo Native Language: English Member Type: English Teacher | |
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea But, biscuits and cakes are countable.
:D | Can't cake be both countable and uncountable:
There aren't many cakes left.
There wasn't much cake left. |
04-Dec-2003, 23:52
| | Moderator | | Join Date: Feb 2003 Country: USA
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Current Location: North Carolina Native Language: English Member Type: Other | |
Quote: |
Originally Posted by tdol Quote: |
Originally Posted by Casiopea But, biscuits and cakes are countable.
:D | Can't cake be both countable and uncountable:
There aren't many cakes left.
There wasn't much cake left. | Absolutely.
:wink: | | |
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