Many seeds are inside (of) fruit.

[diamondcutter]

In order for plants to reproduce, they have to spread their seeds to other areas. Plants have developed all kinds of ways to do this. The simplest way is gravity. Many seeds are inside of fruit. When a piece of fruit gets too heavy, it falls from a tree to the ground.
(Source: the English test paper, senior high school entrance exams, Henan province, China, 2021)

In this sentence--many seeds are inside of fruit, I think the preposition “of” is redundant and should be crossed out.

What do you say?

 

[probus]

Those who are fond of logic or brevity may find the of superfluous but it is nevertheless frequenty used by native speakers. Therefore only a strict prescriptionist would call it wrong. I consider it correct.

 

[diamondcutter]

Thanks, probus.

Many seeds are inside of fruit means many seeds are in the middle of fruit. Am I right?

 

[GoesStation]

Many seeds are inside of fruit means many seeds are in the middle of fruit. Am I right?

No. It means they're within the skins of fruit. It's not very natural.

 

[probus]

It's not very natural.

I agree. It's rather childish. It sounds like something my grandchildren might say.

 

[diamondcutter]

Thanks, GoesStation and probus.

Do you mean the original sentence--many seeds are inside of fruit--is not very natural?

 

[emsr2d2]

It's not natural and it's not clear what you're trying to say. Do you mean "There are a lot of seeds inside [some] fruit" or "A lot of fruit has its seeds inside"?

 

[5jj]

When a piece of fruit gets too heavy,

We don't normally use 'piece' for an individual item. I'd just say 'a fruit'.

 

[Tarheel]

There are many kinds of fruit. Also, there are many kinds of fruit trees. Pieces of fruit don't ripen. Apples ripen. Peaches ripen. Pears ripen.

 

[probus]

We don't normally use 'piece' for an individual item. I'd just say 'a fruit'.

I think that is a difference between American and British English. We say piece of fruit.

At least in my parents' day a fruit was a derogatory term for a male homosexual. I'm glad to say I haven't seen or heard it for many years.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd say "a piece of fruit" if it was on sale in a shop or sitting in my fruit bowl (no doubt going off before I have the chance to eat it). While still hanging on the tree, I would use "a fruit".

I have an apple tree. Each time a fruit ripens, the birds steal it before I have a chance to pick it!