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ladyandthetramp
Joined: 21 Nov 2003
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 Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 10:51 pm Post subject: English Grammar Question: My Favorite... |
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I'm teaching "What's your favorite___?" and "My favorite ___ is ___" this week, but the second part always sounds a little strange.
With non-count nouns, there is no problem (my favorite vegetable is corn).
With count nouns, sometimes the plural sounds better, and sometimes the singular sounds better:
"My favorite fruit is apples" sound okay, but "My favorite fruit is an apple" seems to limit it to one apple.
but,
"My favorite pet is dogs" sounds strange. "My favorite pet is a dog" sounds better to me.
I'm not sure what the best way to teach this is. What do others think about this? |
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Badmojo
Joined: 07 Mar 2004
Location: I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:05 pm Post subject: Re: English Grammar Question: My Favorite... |
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| ladyandthetramp wrote: |
I'm teaching "What's your favorite___?" and "My favorite ___ is ___" this week, but the second part always sounds a little strange.
With non-count nouns, there is no problem (my favorite vegetable is corn).
With count nouns, sometimes the plural sounds better, and sometimes the singular sounds better:
"My favorite fruit is apples" sound okay, but "My favorite fruit is an apple" seems to limit it to one apple.
but,
"My favorite pet is dogs" sounds strange. "My favorite pet is a dog" sounds better to me.
I'm not sure what the best way to teach this is. What do others think about this? |
I wouldn't sweat any of this. It's too minor. We know what they mean in both cases. |
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ladyandthetramp
Joined: 21 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:17 pm Post subject: Re: English Grammar Question: My Favorite... |
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| Badmojo wrote: |
| ladyandthetramp wrote: |
I'm teaching "What's your favorite___?" and "My favorite ___ is ___" this week, but the second part always sounds a little strange.
With non-count nouns, there is no problem (my favorite vegetable is corn).
With count nouns, sometimes the plural sounds better, and sometimes the singular sounds better:
"My favorite fruit is apples" sound okay, but "My favorite fruit is an apple" seems to limit it to one apple.
but,
"My favorite pet is dogs" sounds strange. "My favorite pet is a dog" sounds better to me.
I'm not sure what the best way to teach this is. What do others think about this? |
I wouldn't sweat any of this. It's too minor. We know what they mean in both cases. |
I know we understand it, and usually I am of the school of "if native speakers say it, then it is correct (on some level)", but I'd rather teach things that don't sound somewhat odd to a native speaker. |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:06 am Post subject: |
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I would just yse singular nouns with no articles...
My favourite fruit is apple.
My favourite pet is dog. |
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Badmojo
Joined: 07 Mar 2004
Location: I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:13 am Post subject: Re: English Grammar Question: My Favorite... |
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| ladyandthetramp wrote: |
| Badmojo wrote: |
| ladyandthetramp wrote: |
I'm teaching "What's your favorite___?" and "My favorite ___ is ___" this week, but the second part always sounds a little strange.
With non-count nouns, there is no problem (my favorite vegetable is corn).
With count nouns, sometimes the plural sounds better, and sometimes the singular sounds better:
"My favorite fruit is apples" sound okay, but "My favorite fruit is an apple" seems to limit it to one apple.
but,
"My favorite pet is dogs" sounds strange. "My favorite pet is a dog" sounds better to me.
I'm not sure what the best way to teach this is. What do others think about this? |
I wouldn't sweat any of this. It's too minor. We know what they mean in both cases. |
I know we understand it, and usually I am of the school of "if native speakers say it, then it is correct (on some level)", but I'd rather teach things that don't sound somewhat odd to a native speaker. |
But I think you hit the nail on the head in the first post. "With count nouns sometimes the plural sounds better, and sometimes the singular sounds better." I don't think there's any hard and fast rule. It's just how it sounds. And even then, native speakers don't agree.
For example, I'd much rather say, "My favorite pet is dogs" than "My favorite pet is a dog." In fact, I'd prefer not to say either, because they both sound strange to me. I'd probably go with, "My favorite pets are dogs" in conversation or in writing.
Sometimes with points like these you only end up confusing your students more. I'd take a pass on it. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:25 am Post subject: |
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Its a way overused formulation in any case. How often in natural conversation do you ask someone "Whats your favorite ... ?"
Not to sound uppity though -- I use it in class too.
Grammatically, I'd vote for "My favorite pet is a dog." |
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matthewwoodford
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Location: Location, location, location.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:03 am Post subject: |
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| tzechuk wrote: |
I would just yse singular nouns with no articles...
My favourite fruit is apple.
My favourite pet is dog. |
Are you joking? There are enough people out there already teaching mistakes. |
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Canucksaram
Joined: 29 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:01 am Post subject: |
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What about using "the" in certain sentences, like "My favorite fruit is the apple"?
"My favorite fruit is apples." That seems fine.
"My favorite fruit is the apple." That seems fine, too. |
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pdxsteve
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Bundang
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| Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2005 5:48 am Post subject: Re: English Grammar Question: My Favorite... |
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| ladyandthetramp wrote: |
I'm teaching "What's your favorite___?" and "My favorite ___ is ___" this week, but the second part always sounds a little strange.
With non-count nouns, there is no problem (my favorite vegetable is corn).
With count nouns, sometimes the plural sounds better, and sometimes the singular sounds better:
"My favorite fruit is apples" sound okay, but "My favorite fruit is an apple" seems to limit it to one apple.
but,
"My favorite pet is dogs" sounds strange. "My favorite pet is a dog" sounds better to me.
I'm not sure what the best way to teach this is. What do others think about this? |
Why not flip the sentences around?
"Apples are my favorite fruit".
"Dogs are my favorite pet".
I know it's not the traditional S-V-O sentence order that we try to teach our students, but it sounds much better to the ear (at least, to mine). |
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waggo
Joined: 18 May 2003
Location: pusan baby!
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 5:17 am Post subject: |
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I can now see why the Koreans want to get rid of all the rubbish teachers here.  |
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ladyandthetramp
Joined: 21 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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| waggo wrote: |
| I can now see why the Koreans want to get rid of all the rubbish teachers here. |
Well, if you're such a knowledgeable teacher, why don't you post a reply to the question here?
What qualifications do you have to be teaching English? |
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MixtecaMike
Joined: 24 Nov 2003
Location: 3rd Largest Train Station in Korea
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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My favorite food is kimchi.
My favorite color is sky blue.
My favorite teacher is Mike Teacher.
Wooo, no hay problema. |
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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| matthewwoodford wrote: |
| tzechuk wrote: |
I would just yse singular nouns with no articles...
My favourite fruit is apple.
My favourite pet is dog. |
Are you joking? There are enough people out there already teaching mistakes. |
Lucky I don't teach then?! |
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ladyandthetramp
Joined: 21 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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| MixtecaMike wrote: |
My favorite food is kimchi.
My favorite color is sky blue.
My favorite teacher is Mike Teacher.
Wooo, no hay problema. |
Did you read the original post?
You did not include any non-count nouns in your examples. Please reread the original post, think, and then respond.
Also, since when to native English speakers add "teacher" to the end of names? |
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waggo
Joined: 18 May 2003
Location: pusan baby!
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| Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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| ladyandthetramp wrote: |
| MixtecaMike wrote: |
My favorite food is kimchi.
My favorite color is sky blue.
My favorite teacher is Mike Teacher.
Wooo, no hay problema. |
Did you read the original post?
You did not include any non-count nouns in your examples. Please reread the original post, think, and then respond.
Also, since when to native English speakers add "teacher" to the end of names? |
When his surname is Teacher!  |
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