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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > Is it correct?
Is it correct?
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Goryunova Irina
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Is it correct?
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Help, please. I �ve found some phrases in the Student �s book. And I �m confused. Are they really correct? Bananas are fruits.
( I thought Bananas are fruit.)
My favorite fruit is oranges.(I thought My favorite fruit are oranges.) My favorite vegetable is peas. (I thought My favorite vegetables are peas.) Thanks. |
22 Mar 2013
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yanogator
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The uncountable word "fruit" is usually used in a collective sense, so we often use "fruits" when using a plural sense. It is a tricky situation.
Bananas (plural) are fruits. Bananas are a fruit. A banana is a fruit. - All three are acceptable. "Bananas are fruit" is OK, but it doesn �t sound quite natural.
"My favorite fruit" is a strange case of using fruit both as a singular word and a collective word at the same time, so I don �t think I can explain it beyond that. Anyway, "My favorite fruit is oranges" is collect. In a very formal sentence, you could say "My favorite fruit is the orange", but it sounds very stilted.
"My favorite vegetable is peas" is the same situation. Since both "vegetable" and "peas" are being used in a collective sense, rather than a real plural, "is" is the best verb. We would use "are" only if we are clearly talking about various kinds of peas (English peas, petit pois, sugar snap peas, etc.).
I hope this doesn �t confuse you more,
Bruce |
22 Mar 2013
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ueslteacher
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I felt the same bewilderment when I heard the "My favourite fruit is oranges" phrase in a movie:) Sophia |
22 Mar 2013
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cunliffe
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Ditto!
I think the natural utterance would be �Oranges are my favourite fruit. � |
22 Mar 2013
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DaliaIM
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They sound weird to me too as I would naturally use your own sentences as well.
A logical explanation is that "my favorite fruit..." or "my favorite vegetable..." refer to "my favorite (kind of) fruit..." or "my favorite (kind of) vegetable..." Thus, the sentence "my favorite (kind of) fruit is oranges" sound more logical.
As for "bananas are fruits"; could it be that we use "fruit" as a collective noun (apples, bananas, and pears... etc) and "fruit(s)" as referring to one kind (one banana, two bananas) (one fruit, two fruits)???
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22 Mar 2013
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