[Grammar] Combined

[ConnieUS]

Suppose there are 7 apples, 7 oranges and 6 bananas on a table. If I want to talk about the number of individual fruits:

"There are 20 apples, oranges and bananas combined."
"There are a combined 20 apples, oranges and bananas."

Are these sentences acceptable?

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

NOT A TEACHER

The first sentence sounds fine, but the second doesn't. In such a context, combined is used in conjunction with "of". I think the correct sentence should be: There is a combined of 20 apples, oranges and banans. But I'm not entirely sure, so perhaps a teacher can confirm this. I'm curious about this as well.

 

[emsr2d2]

Suppose there are 7 apples, 7 oranges and 6 bananas on a table. If I want to talk about the number of individual fruits:

"There are 20 apples, oranges and bananas combined."
"There are a combined 20 apples, oranges and bananas."

Are these sentences acceptable?

There are 20 apples, oranges and bananas in total.
There are 20 pieces of fruit on the table - a combination of apples, oranges and bananas.

With regard to Chicken Sandwich's post, I can't think of a situation where "combined" would be used in conjunction with "of".

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

With regard to Chicken Sandwich's post, I can't think of a situation where "combined" would be used in conjunction with "of".

I completely misread a dictionary entry. This is the sentence from which I drew an incorrect conclusion:

Her records have sold a combined total of 14 million copies.

But is the first sentence really wrong? Can't "combined" be used instead of "in total"?

 

[emsr2d2]

But is the first sentence really wrong? Can't "combined" be used instead of "in total"?

In my opinion, some version of "total" is required:

The total number of apples, oranges and bananas combined is twenty.

 

[ConnieUS]

Thank you for your replies, emsr2d2 & Sandwich!

So, this would be wrong too:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams#Operators

"United States Army and United States Marine Corps have approximately 8,725 M1, M1A1 and M1A2 variants combined in inventory."

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

In my opinion, some version of "total" is required:

The total number of apples, oranges and bananas combined is twenty.

I see. So if I understand correctly, this sentence, a modification of the second one, also works?

There is a combined total of 20 apples, oranges and bananas.

 

[BrunaBC]

There are 20 apples, oranges and bananas in total.
There are 20 pieces of fruit on the table - a combination of apples, oranges and bananas.

With regard to Chicken Sandwich's post, I can't think of a situation where "combined" would be used in conjunction with "of".

I've learned that fruit in uncountable, that's why you used 20 pieces of fuit (same as 2 cartons of milk, 1 slice of cheese...) But my question is:
Gramatically it's wrong to say there are 20 fruit on the kitchen table. But couldn't it be implied that I refer to pieces of fruit? (just like if I go to a bar and ask 2 beers?)

Thank you.

 

[5jj]

There are 20 apples, oranges and bananas in total.

That, and
"There are 20 pieces of fruit on the table - apples, oranges and bananas" are the most natural to me. 'Combined' and 'combination' both seem unnatural to me however they are used.

 

[emsr2d2]

I've learned that fruit in uncountable, that's why you used 20 pieces of fuit (same as 2 cartons of milk, 1 slice of cheese...) But my question is:
Gramatically it's wrong to say there are 20 fruit on the kitchen table. But couldn't it be implied that I refer to pieces of fruit? (just like if I go to a bar and ask 2 beers?)

Thank you.

No. If you don't want to specify the types of fruit you can say "There are three [different] fruits on the table". However, that still doesn't tell anyone how many individual pieces of fruit there are.

 

[ConnieUS]

Thank you for your replies, emsr2d2 & Sandwich!

So, this would be wrong too:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_Abrams#Operators

"United States Army and United States Marine Corps have approximately 8,725 M1, M1A1 and M1A2 variants combined in inventory."

 

[emsr2d2]

I think that's the third time you've posted that excerpt. In my opinion the whole sentence is unnatural. It is missing three definite articles, for a start. Notes on Wikipedia shouldn't be taken as examples of great English.

 

[ConnieUS]

Thank you for your reply, emsr2d2!

So, this is poorly written?

udel.edu/PR/CampaignUD/legacy/eng/solid.html

"With more than 400 undergraduate and graduate students combined, and research expenditures in the $5 to $6 million range annually, the department continues to be one of the University’s leading academic units."

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

"With more than 400 undergraduate and graduate students combined, and research expenditures in the $5 to $6 million range annually, the department continues to be one of the University’s leading academic units."

Interesting. Apparently here, "combined" is used instead of "in total", similar to the sentence you posted in your first message.