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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > many a + noun
many a + noun
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hekateros
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many a + noun
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Good evening everyone :)
One of my students came up with a question today, which I thought would be best clarified by an English native speaker.
My student �s boyfriend, who is English, said this sentence when referring to an aggressive cat they saw:
"I bet it has seen off many a cat".
She wanted to know if this was correct...well, to me it sounds wrong but I would like to hear your opinions. Could it be a particularity from a certain region in Englad to say "many a cat"?
I �ve never heard it... Have you?
Thanks ;) |
18 Mar 2009
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Zora
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I can �t say how grammatically correct it is but yes, it is said... other examples:
"There �s many a day that I just want to scream"
"Many a night, I lay awake thinking about my youth..."
It �s almost a poetic way of speaking though...
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18 Mar 2009
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hekateros
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Thanks a lot Zora.
I see it is said in other places but England!!
Greetings :) |
18 Mar 2009
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cbkiryk
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I grew up in the US and spent the past nearly forty years in Oz...That said it is common in both countries.
Many a day I regretted the decision to ... (insert regret).
Good question though!!!
Cy |
18 Mar 2009
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dennismychina
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Hi All,
It is certainly used in England. Poetic English is a nice way of expressing it Zora, as it date back to the 1200�s
Many a = a lot of singulars, numerous ones. It�s an adjective and is always used with a singular noun.
You can also say many is the time. There are a great number of. As in ��Many is the time I �ve longed for a big juicy, greasy hamburger. |
18 Mar 2009
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douglas
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Yep, we say it in the USA too. Every language has its poetic license--I chalk this one up to that. I am pretty sure it was used in popular, older English literature and found its niche in the language. It has a poetic aire about it, that usually signals someone trying to purposely be dramatic.
Douglas |
18 Mar 2009
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hekateros
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Good evening!!
Thank you all for your reply! :)
I forgot to mention that my student is also a native speaker (from South Africa) but living in Portugal for many years. And that sentence also sounded strange to her  That is why I wondered if it were a particularity from England 
I will tell her tomorrow what I found out about it, thanks to you!!
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19 Mar 2009
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douglas
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If I remember right, John Wayne used it a lot in his movies.
Douglas |
19 Mar 2009
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