Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Tetsu]

Say Mr. A is an investor. He always buys one million stocks at one time. He never buys tow stocks, sixty-seven tocks, nine thousand stocks, or one billion stocks and so on at one time. Therefore if he says he bought stocks, then that always means he bought one million stocks. And all his friends know that.

In this situation, is it correct for him to say as (1) and (2) to his friends?
(1) I bought another one million stocks.
(2) I bought another stocks.

Thanks a lot for the help.

[Anuradha Chepur]

Mr. A can say it either way.

He can say he bought stocks and it implies he bought one million stocks (for his friends). He may even state explicitly what is already implied.

[Tetsu]

Hello Anuradha Chepur

Thanks a lot for your kind and quick help.
I understand well. I wondered if it is corrct or not to use a plural noun just after "another," i.e. (b).
But now it's clear to me.

Thanks!

[Jintii]

Actually, I would say he always buys 1 million shares of stock. If you say he buys stocks, I understand that he buys stock in different companies. For example, if he bought 4 stocks today, that would mean he bought stock in 4 companies.

But if you're talking about a million, it must be shares of one or more stocks.

So, in answer to your question, he can say:

1) I bought another 1 million shares.
2) I bought another stock.

[Anuradha Chepur]

I agree with Jintii. When I said be bought stocks, what I actually meant was shares.

[Tetsu]

Hello Jintii, Hello Anuradha Chepur

Thanks a lot for your kind help.

I didn't know word share. What I called stock is what you call share. Now I understand completely the difference between stock and share.

Can I ask once more?

Say Mr. A is an investor. He always buys one million shares of one company at one time. He never buys one share, sixty-seven shares of one compay, nine thousand shares of one company, one million shares of two companies, one million shares of twenty-three companies, or one billion shares of one company, and so on at one time. Therefore if he says he bought shares, then that always means he bought one million shares of one company, two million shares of two comparies, or ten milion shares of ten comopanies, and so on. And all his friends know that.

In this situation, is it correct for him to say as (3) and (4) to mean the situation above to his friends?
(3) I bought other shares.
(4) I bought another shares.

If both are correct, what's the difference?

Thanks a lot for the help.

[Tetsu]

Hello Jintii, Hello Anuradha Chepur

Let me explain the situation again.

Mr. A buys as shown in (a)
(a) He always buys one million shares of one company.

Mr. A never buys as shown in (b) to (g).
(b) He never buys one share.
(c) He never buys sixty-seven shares of one company.
(d) He never buys nine thousand shares of one company.
(e) He never buys five hundred thousand shares of one compny and five hundred thousand shares of another company (i.e. one million shares of two companies in total).
(f) He never buys forty thousand shares of a first compny, forty thousand shares of a second company, ..., and forty thousand shares of a twenty-fifth company (i.e. one million shares of twenty-five companies in total).
(g) He never buys one billion shares of one company.

That's the situation I wanted to say in my last post.

Thanks.

[Jintii]

Hi Tetsu.

[Tetsu]

Hello Jintii

Thanks a lot for your wondrful help.
It's been a question to me for a long time. But now I understand well.

Thanks!