Plural..

[SPeedY_B]

Ok, some friends and I were discussing this at work today (Yeah, we were that busy ;p) weather or not the value of 1.5 is plural.

I don't remember what the objects were as the initial example, but for the sake of this thread, we'll have one and a half cookies. Now is that plural?

My argument was that plural is a value of objects greater than one, and 1.5 > 1.
However, others seemed to think that plural was the value of 2.

So no one could agree. What do you think? 🙂

 

[PseudoKiller]

no... 1.5 is not plural. By definition plural Indicates more than one of a noun. Pronouns can also be plural.

 

[chris]

It depends on the context. Like you cant have 1.5 people, so the answer would be no in that case, but if your talking about pies, or cakes, then yes, you can have 1.5 cakes and pies. So the answer then would be yes.

Arrrghhh.. why you make me think so hard about this 🙁 😛

 

[SPeedY_B]

plu·ral*(plrl)
adj.
1. Relating to or composed of more than one member, set, or kind: the plural meanings of a text; a plural society.

2 .Grammar. Of or being a grammatical form that designates more than one of the things specified.

more than one. 1.5 is more than one.

 

[PseudoKiller]

yes but its the cakes pies or people who are plural... not the 1.5

 

[xsivforce]

one and one half...sounds like two things...

 

[Perris Calderon]

it's easy to solve the question

all you need to do is examine the grammar of it

1.5 cookIES

one cookie...cookies is plural

1.5 PEOPLE

one person...people is plural

the grammar of the question solves the question

 

[Dubbin1]

LOL This is the best thing you guys could find to talk about?
NERD 😀

 

[Perris Calderon]

this is not a good thing?

 

[Perris Calderon]

no cookies for you dubbin 😡

 

[Dubbin1]

🙁

 

[LeeJend]

Wow, I'm impressed it was only 7 posts this time until someone with a knowledge of English grammer posted a correct answer.

It's really surprising what a small percentage of NTFS posters have English as a first language. I guess we really do live in a global economy. 🙂

 

[dreamliner77]

yes but its the cakes pies or people who are plural... not the 1.5

PK is right about this.

 

[Henyman]

yup




*gets cookie tin out*

 

[Mainframeguy]

PK is right about this.

not meaning to creep or anything, but he (PK) is indeed correct IMHO.

 

[dreamliner77]

Where's madmatt to come get cookies...

 

[sean.ferguson]

i'd say its plural

 

[Mainframeguy]

I vote not plural

as a purist non-pluralist I believe this has to be in integers - so I would actually also say 2.5 was not plural too.... I think I am adding to this meaningless and trivial debate - as for the cookies - I only accept them in integer variations too - and preferably not plural cookies, IE I prefer cookie to cookies?

 

[SPeedY_B]

Mainframeguy.. do you ever make sense?

 

[dreamliner77]

Mainframe-

Pass that doobie this way 🙂