Re: "0 or 1" singlular or plural?

Subject: Re: "0 or 1" singlular or plural?
From: Dick Margulis <margulis -at- fiam -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 10:34:02 -0500




T. Word Smith wrote:

If you have this construction, do you use singular or
plural?

There is little feedback (0 or 1 phone calls).

There is little feedback (0 or 1 phone call).


Good one!

The _rule_ is that the agreement is based on proximity. You would say "one phone call"; so the second choice would be _correct._

However, this doesn't sound quite right to my ear, and my tongue wants to use the first option.

Maybe the easiest solution is to change it to, "There is little feedback (fewer than 2 phone calls)."

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References:
"0 or 1" singlular or plural?: From: T. Word Smith

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