Your reasoning is great, but does it mean "Those who want to join the chorus should write their/your names on this sheet of paper." cannot be used in this same situation?Because most of us don't say "My names are XXX XXX". We say "My name is ...". So each person will write their name. This does not mean that they should simply write one name.
This is the 19th post in this thread. :shock:
I have to say that, in my opinion, most native speakers would not notice whether someone said 'your' or 'their' , or 'name' or 'names'.
Your reasoning is great, but does it mean "Those who want to join the chorus should write their/your names on this sheet of paper." cannot be used in this same situation?
Hi, Tdol. Thanks for your response.With your, the singular sounds better to me, but they both sound OK with their.
Hi, Tdol. Thanks for your response.
Anyway, the part of your explanation of "but they both sound OK with their" seems to me to be in conflict wity Post # 13 and Post # 16 by
I did not remember your username when I was nearly finished with my post, so I first uploaded the incomplete post in case it would get lost and then I went to page 2 to retrieve your username and then came back with it to make the post finished. I feared that I would sound offensive if I misspelt your username. Sorry for the incomplete post!Did you forget to finish this post?
Thank you and all the others for patiently answering my questions. I reread your post#2 and I like it. And I also like your conclusion that "this is one case where you will not get complete agreement among native speakers." BTW, may I ask you a question, which may be the last in this thread, about your "but then I would"? Do you mean by "but then I would" that you, at the time of writing post #2, as you do now, also thought that your opinion is the best? Is it because "I thought" means that "I" now have a different idea that you instead used "I would (think so)"? Thanks a lot.Native speakers have different opinions on this. I think that my opinion (post #2) is the best, but then I would.
I understand your reasons for your questions (post #23), but this is one case where you will not get complete agreement among native speakers
No. It was a slightly jocular way of saying, "That's what I would be expected to say". There is a suggestion that you don't have to take my claim (of my opinion being the best) too seriously.Do you mean by "but then I would" that you, at the time of writing post #2, as you do now, also thought that your opinion is the best? Is it because "I thought" means that "I" now have a different idea that you instead used "I would (think so)"? Thanks a lot.