Cats are my favorite animal?

[kiweep7]

Hi, guys,

A few questions about when to use singular or plural
bother me a lot recently.

1. Cats are my favorite animals.
2. Cats are my favorite animal.

Which one is grammatically correct in writing?
Which one is used more in daily conversation?

1. Boys and girls, enjoy yourself.
2. Boys and girls, enjoy yourselves.

Which one is grammatically correct in writing?
Which one is used more in daily conversation?


1. Everyone, enjoy yourself.
2. Everyone, enjoy yourselves.

Again, I can't tell which one is correct now.
Help me, please.

 

[Gnome]

Please not that I'm not a teacher.

Cats are my favorite animals.
Boys and girls, enjoy yourselves.
Everyone, enjoy yourself.

These are all used in informal conversation and in formal writing; however, I've heard people say, "Everyone, enjoy yourselves."

 

[kiweep7]

When we say "Cats are my favorite animals,"
does it mean "My favorite animals are cats and other kinds of animals."

My favorite animal is a cat.
This may be easily understood and presents correspondent forms of amount.
I'm aware of that actually.

But still, there are moments people do go with plural forms, ie cats.
Any ideas?

 

[TheParser]

Hi, guys,

A few questions about when to use singular or plural
bother me a lot recently.

1. Cats are my favorite animals.
2. Cats are my favorite animal.

Which one is grammatically correct in writing?
Which one is used more in daily conversation?

1. Boys and girls, enjoy yourself.
2. Boys and girls, enjoy yourselves.

Which one is grammatically correct in writing?
Which one is used more in daily conversation?


1. Everyone, enjoy yourself.
2. Everyone, enjoy yourselves.

Again, I can't tell which one is correct now.
Help me, please.

***** N O T ***** A ***** T E A C H E R *****


Kiweep,


I believe that the "correct" answer for No. 1 is:

Cats are my favorite animal./ My favorite animal is cats.

The rule seems to be this:

The verb agrees with the subject: cats are/ my favorite

animal is.

Here are some more examples:

Languages are my hobby. (not hobbies)

Mushrooms are my most disliked vegetable.

Newspapers are my favorite reading material.

I believe that the words after is/are are called the

subjective complement. If it is singular (for example:

my favorite animal), it stays singular:

My favorite fruit is grapes./ Grapes are my favorite fruit.


And if the subjective complement is plural, then it stays plural:

Rude people are a sad fact of life. / A sad fact of life is rude people.

Thank you

 

[5jj]

Most of what you wrote is helpful, Parser, but I have a problem with: My favorite animal is cats.

That, I feel, is unacceptable.

'My favourite animal? Hmmm - Cats.' That's fine in conversation.

I think I'd say, "My favourite animal is the/a cat".


The rule seems to be this:

The verb agrees with the verb: cats are/ my favorite animal is.
I assume you meant to type 'subject'. I do that sort of thing all the time.

5

 

[TheParser]

5

Thank you very much for the correction. I have edited it out because

I do not wish to confuse any learner. I shall be more careful in the future

to proofread more closely.

 

[5jj]

I do not wish to confuse any learner. I shall be more careful in the future to proofread more closely.

Don't worry about it. We should all try to be careful about this, but accidents happen.