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This / These

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jack

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
1. This is all the compasses you have?
2. This is all the compass you have? (all=plural?, so this is wrong?)
3. These are all the compasses you have?

What does #1 and #3 mean?
 

jack

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
Thanks.

What do these mean? What's the subject and verb?
1. These kid stuff sucks. ('stuff' is not countable, so is it plural or singular?)
2. These kids’ stuff sucks.
3. These kid's stuff sucks.
4. These kids stuff sucks.

5. These cars have fast engines. (Each car has more then one engine?)
6. These cars have a fast engine. (Each car has a fast engine?)

Are these correct? What do they mean?
7. These songs have good lyrics and beats.
8. These songs have a good lyric and a beat.
9. These songs have good lyric and beat.

What do these mean?
10. This song have bad lyrics and beats.
11. This song have bad lyric and beat.
 

Casiopea

VIP Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Member Type
Other
Try, This kid stuff sucks. (non-count; How much stuff?)

1. These kid stuff sucks. :(
2. These kids’ stuff sucks. :(
3. These kid's stuff sucks. :(
4. These kids stuff sucks. :(

5. These cars have fast engines. :D
6. These cars have a fast engine. :D

7. These songs have good lyrics and beats. :)
8. These songs have a good lyric and a bea. :)
9. These songs have good lyric and beat. :(

10. This song has bad lyrics and beats. :D
11. This song has bad lyric and beat. :(

'beat' sounds strange. A good beat or a bad beat sounds better.
 

jack

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
1. This song has a good lyric and a beat. (Does this mean this song has 'a good word and a beat'?)

Are these correct? What do these mean?
1. This is immoral earnings.
2. These are immoral earnings. (What does ‘these are’ represent? )
3. This is an immoral earnings.
4. This is an immoral earning.

5. This is your earnings.
6. These are your earnings.


7. This is your earning.
8. These are your earning.

9. These are his car.
10. These are his cars.
 

Casiopea

VIP Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Member Type
Other
1. This song has a good lyric and a beat. (one lyric and one beat)

Please read the information below. :cool:

Demonstratives
Close to the Speaker:
Singular: This (e.g., This (singular) here is a pencil (singular).)
Plural: These (e.g., These (plural) here are pencils (plural).)

Far from the Speaker:
Singular: That (e.g., That over there is a pencil.)
Plural: Those (e.g., Those over there are pencils.)
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
A car can have a powerful engine, which would make the car fast. I would not say that a car has a fast engine.


:)
 

jack

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
Thanks guys.

1. These (plural) here are pencils (plural).)
What's the subject and verb for the one above? Is the subject 'these here' or just 'these'? The verb is 'are' right?

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=39211&dict=CALD
Does 'earngins' has to be plural?

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=24521&dict=CALD
What do these mean? If 'earning' has to be plural, why?
1. Average earnings for skilled workers are rising.
2. An Average earning for skilled workers are rising.
 

Casiopea

VIP Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Member Type
Other
(1)
These are pencils.
(subject: pronoun functioning as a noun = substantive noun phrase)

These things are pencils.
(subject: pronoun+noun = noun phrase; true subject: things. 'These' is not the true subject. It functions as modification.)

(2)
EX: Her earnings for this year are taxable.
EX: His earning for this year is taxable. (Odd. He earned a penny/a dollar?)
 

jack

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
Thanks.

These things are pencils.
(subject: pronoun+noun = noun phrase; true subject: things. 'These' is not the true subject. It functions as modification.)


1. These (plural) here are pencils (plural). (So the true subject here is 'these' right? and the subject is 'These here'?)

It functions as modification.
2. It functions as (a) modification. (Is 'a' omitted in here?)
 
Last edited:

jack

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2004
Thanks.
2. 'a' was not omitted. It is not required.
2. It functions as (a) modification. (Why isn't 'a' required? Modification is not a count noun?)

What about these? What do these mean?
1. I have five slices of apple.
2. I have five slices of (an) apple. (If 'an' is not required, why?)
 
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