I feel sorry for everybody who has to learn English as a second language. It seems to be a remarkably versatile language, but at the cost of being awfully darned complicated.
I, of course (being a proud American), do not know any other languages, so I can't really compare it with anything else. Still, my less-than-rudimentary knowledge of Spanish and droplets of other Latin languages has led me to believe learning English must be a pain.
Consider this example, compliments of Aunt Julie.
Which is correct?
"Your heating and cooling equipment is getting old."
or
"Your heating and cooling equipment are getting old."
What a pain.
Honestly, the first word I pondered was 'old.' I wanted it to be 'older,' but I decided I didn't mind 'old,' and in fact preferred it because it more accurately portrayed the idea that the equipment was arriving at a state of oldness.
Satisfied, I moved on to the actual question. It is quite a field of land mines.
I think all of the following sentences are correct:
"Your heating and cooling equipment is getting old." (if that is the only thing being discussed)
"Your heating equipment and your cooling equipment are getting old."
"Your heating and cooling equipment are getting old" (but your other equipment is not. As in "Your basketball, football, and tennis equipment are getting old, but your golf, bowling, and hockey equipment are not.")
Comments, dissenting opinions?
4 comments:
"Alright brain, I don't like you and you don't like me, but..."
I think it would depend on if the heating and cooling equipment is (are) the same piece of equipment or two pieces. If one uit is for heating and one is for cooling, I would use "are." If the heating and cooling is done by the same unit, I would use "is." Then again, if they are separate, I would pluralize unit(s).
I think either is correct, although using the plural with “equipment” sounds British. The British seem to refer to nouns like “company” as plural, so maybe they would for equipment, too.
I think of equipment as plural, but that leads me to the question of what the singular would be. “Device” or “tool,” perhaps? Can you have a single item that is equipment? I suppose I would refer to a hockey stick as hockey equipment, though it feels a little stilted and would prefer “piece of equipment.” If it’s obvious I’m referring to a single item, I’d definitely use the singular version of a verb. As an American, I think I’d use the singular no matter what.
whew!
I am not getting in on this discussion except to say this whole idea becomes glaringly apparent when you begin helping a 5 year old learn to read. How does anyone ever learn English???
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