Adding -s

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by jack

Thanks.
1. You can talk to our technicians. (How come this doesn't mean you can talk to many technicians at a time? How do you know if it doesn't mean that?)

. . . one or two or more or all.

[jack]

. . . one or two or more or all.

How come it isn't like this for 'one technician'?
1. You can talk to one of our technicians. ( '. . one or two or more or all.' )

I don't understand how this qualify for one technican:
2. You can talk to our technicians. ('technicians' is plural? How is that 'one' technician?)

two or more or all.

3. You can talk to our technicians. (I get this, 'two or more or all'.)

[Casiopea]

1. one of our technicians

Any technician, but just one.

2. our technicians

All of our techinicians at once or one at a time.

Note, 'one of' could have been omitted from 2., which would mean that 2. could share the same meaning as 1.)

[jack]

Are these correct? If not, why? What do they mean?
1. Associates must avoid conflicts of interest.
2. Associates must avoid conflicts of interests.

3. Associates must avoid conflict of interests.
4. Associates must avoid conflict of interest.


5. These are examples of possible conflict of interests.
6. These are examples of possible conflicts of interests.

7. These are examples of possible conflicts of interest.
8. These are examples of possible conflict of interest.

Thanks.

[Mister Micawber]

Again, the idiom is 'one conflict of interest', 'two conflicts of interest'. Googling will give you almost 4 million hits on this form, and only 185,000 hits on the incorrect 'interests'.

Therefore, only (1) and (4) are right. They are all easy to understand, but the others reveal shoddy grammar, and the writer would be exposed as a simpleton. A 'conflict of interest' is the holding of opposing interests (either benefits or liabilities) within or between parties to an agreement, condition, or other situation.

[jack]

So these are wrong? If not, What do they mean?
1. These are examples of possible conflict of interests.
2. These are examples of possible conflicts of interests.

What do these mean?
3. This video card provides world class TV-out functionality up to 1024x768 resolution.
4. This video card provides world class TV-out functionality up to 1024x768 resolutions. (How come 'resolutions' is plural?)

[jack]

Could someone help me out with the post above? Thanks

What do these mean?
1. I hate her facial expressions. (Does this mean specific facial expressions? Or expressions in general?)
2. I hate her facial expression. (Does this mean one facial expression or facial expression in general?)

Thanks again.

[Mister Micawber]

(1) means her expressions in general, though the speaker may have a few particularly repugnant ones in mind.

(2) means a specific expression on a particular occasion; her permanent facial makeup might be more accurately attacked using 'I hate her face'.