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Old 13-May-2004, 20:38
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Default Do you want to eat apple or drink beer?

Which one is correct? Which one is habitually used by native speakers?
The first one is what I want to know, apple or beer, regardless of quantity.


1. Do you want to eat apple or drink beer?

2. Do you want to eat an apple or drink a beer?
(It seems I am not generous.)

3. Do you want to eat apples or drink beers?
(What if I have only one of each.)

Thanks!
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Old 13-May-2004, 20:45
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I think it would depend on the situation (ie, how many apples and beers you have).

I don't think many people would say "Do you want to eat apple".

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Old 13-May-2004, 23:23
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'Apple'is countable, but beer can be countable or uncountable depending on whether you are thinking of it as a fluid or as a measure, like a can or glass.
1. Do you want to eat an apple or drink beer?

2. Do you want to eat an apple or drink a beer?
(It seems I am not generous.)

3. Do you want to eat apples or drink beers?
(What if I have only one of each.- Then use #2, or offer them both an apple and a beer)
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Old 14-May-2004, 00:15
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Default Re: Do you want to eat apple or drink beer?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Which one is correct? Which one is habitually used by native speakers?
The first one is what I want to know, apple or beer, regardless of quantity.


1. Do you want to eat apple or drink beer?

2. Do you want to eat an apple or drink a beer?
(It seems I am not generous.)

3. Do you want to eat apples or drink beers?
(What if I have only one of each.)

Thanks!
I prefer beer to apples, thanks.
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Old 14-May-2004, 01:41
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Why not compromise and have some cider?
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Old 14-May-2004, 01:53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tdol
Why not compromise and have some cider?
Hmmmm.
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Old 14-May-2004, 02:13
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Scrumptious scrumpy.
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Old 14-May-2004, 12:43
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But, if you had a choice of two things, such as apple or rhubarb crumble, the following would be possible:

A: I don't like rhubarb crumble.

B: Do you want apple then?
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Old 14-May-2004, 13:04
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Default Re: Do you want to eat apple or drink beer?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Which one is correct? Which one is habitually used by native speakers?
The first one is what I want to know, apple or beer, regardless of quantity.


1. Do you want to eat apple or drink beer?

2. Do you want to eat an apple or drink a beer?
(It seems I am not generous.)

3. Do you want to eat apples or drink beers?
(What if I have only one of each.)

Thanks!
Sentence 1. is ungrammatical. Try, Do you want to eat apples or drink beer? Sentence 2. sounds fine. You do not sound as if you're not being generous.

Example
Max: Let's stop and have a bite to eat.
Sam: I can't. I didn't bring any money with me.
Max: Well, let's see, I've an apple and a beer in my sack. Do you want to eat an apple or drink a beer?

Sentence 3 sounds odd. Do you want to eat apples sounds ok. It's the drink beers that seems odd. Drink beer is better, like this,

Do you want to drink beer? wherein 'beer' is viewed as a non-count noun.

More naturally, Do you feel like an apple or a beer?, which means, Do you want an apple/apples to eat or beer/beers to drink? Notice I placed the verbs at the end of the noun phrases. :wink:

All the best,
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