Singuler or plural verb with noun(s)?

Subject: Singuler or plural verb with noun(s)?
From: Geoff Hart <Geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 12:12:12 -0400

Kathleen Holscher queried <<The downtime will be extended
while the application(s) [is/are?] installed.>>

Since the sense of "noun(s)" is inherently plural (here,
application or applications), the verb should also be plural
(are). However, this is never an elegant way to phrase things,
since some proportion of your audience will always think you
blew it, whichever verb you choose. Since I'm not a fan of
passive voice either, I'd propose the following rewording:
"The more applications you install, the greater the increase in
downtime." (I assume "downtime" is clear from context?)

--Geoff Hart @8^{)} Pointe-Claire, Quebec
geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca

"The text's out of joint, oh cursed spite/that ever I was born to set it
right."--Prince Hamlet, early Danish editor

From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=


Previous by Author: Help with Canadian French?
Next by Author: Protecting the server?
Previous by Thread: Re: Jobs!!! - Congratulations Kathy Nguyen!
Next by Thread: Ooops!


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads