Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

worksmart · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 88

A teacher corrected my sentence from
My favorite food is grape to my favorite food is THE grape.

If that is the case, do I add the "THE" with non-count foods, such as pizza? If I remember correctly, I don't need to add the "the", right? So I would just say "My favorite food is pizza." Please clarify.

And about sour grape. Besides to decribe a person is unpleasant. Do natives say "You are such a sour grape" to describe the person is denying the desirability of something because he can not have it?

And
Do natives say "You are a chicken" to say the person is a coward?

Thank you!

MrPedantic · Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 116 Location: Southern England

Hello Worksmart

1. "My favourite food is the grape" sounds a little strange; "my favourite food is grapes" or "my favourite fruit is the grape" might be more usual.

2. "My favourite food is pizza" is fine.

3. You don't call someone a "sour grape"; the correct expression is "sour grapes", and it describes a situation, rather than a person, e.g.

"I hear you weren't invited to MrP's party."
"Well, that's true, but I don't care anyway. He has such boring parties."
"That sounds like a case of sour grapes to me..."

Here's one version of the story in Aesop from which the phrase originates:

http://www.storyarts.org/library/aesops/stories/sour.html

4. "You're chicken!" is the usual formulation.

See you around,
MrP

pinenut · Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 165 Location: Illinois, U.S.A.

KazAV · Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 6:19 am Post subject:

A third opinion might help.

I also would say, "My favourite food is grapes" or, "My favourite food is grape".

Lorikeet · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 1877 Location: San Francisco

KazAV · Posted: Sun May 14, 2006 11:44 am Post subject:

On second reading, I agree with you Lorikeet.

worksmart · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 88

Ok...
My favorite food is grapes.

According to Teacher Pinenut, My favorite food is apple. (singular) Why is that?

What about cherries, pineapples...?

Do I use singular or plural?

Sorry...I am still confused...and I really want to get this!

Lorikeet · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 1877 Location: San Francisco

I guess Pinenut will have to answer. I don't like "My favorite food is apple." in my English dialect. I have to say "My favorite food is apples." However, I might say, "Apples are my favorite food." (I could never say "Apple is my favorite food.")

I can say, "I like apples." but not "I like apple." However, I can say, "I like pineapple." or "I like melon." It seems to me that some fruits have both a "count" and "noncount" variation, much like the word "pie."

For example:

I ate some watermelon last night.
I bought some watermelons at the grocery store because I'm having a party tomorrow.
I put some pineapple in the cake.
I bought a pineapple yesterday.

pinenut · Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 165 Location: Illinois, U.S.A.

worksmart · Joined: 11 May 2006 Posts: 88

Thanks to all the teachers for your help!

I guess this explains sometimes there is no one single rule and there are always exceptions.

I think I have a better grasp of this now!

In order for me to remember this, I would say:
For the smaller kinds of fruits which are usually eaten more than one, such as strawberries, grapes, raspberries, plural is often used.
Such as I love strawberries.
My favorite food is grapes.

And for the larger kinds of fruits, such as pineapple and watermelon, singular is usually used.
I love watermelon.
My favorite food/fruit is pineapple.

And as for apple...the verdict is still out. I guess it is okay to say both?
I like apples.
or My favorite food is apple.

Thanks again!