Home Home Calendar Calendar Search Search Register Register Login Login
Welcome, Guest.
Please login or register.
Fishy Forum › Fishy Boards › Archive › Grammar question
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 121 Guests

Grammar question

  This thread currently has 4,068 views. Print
2 Pages 1 2 All Recommend Thread
RichMariner
April 17, 2015, 10:10am
Brandy Drinker
Posts: 2,963
Posts Per Day: 0.50
Reputation: 89.39%
Rep Score: +42 / -4
Location: Garforth, Leeds
Approval: +9,128
Gold Stars: 209
I know we have a lot of people on here who like grammar, so I was hoping a few of you could help me out with this one...

It's a header, and it needs to lead with the number:

4 thousand unique individual's behaviour analysed

Basically I can't work out whether that apostrophe in 'individual's' is right. Should it go after the 's', since we're talking about 2 million individuals as a collective? Or does the word 'unique' change that?

As a side note, I think the word 'unique' is redundant because individuals by their very nature are unique. But forget that for now.


"Don't shine that light in my face, mate - I've just lost a pint of blood."
Logged Offline
Site Private Message
0
0
0
PPMariner
April 17, 2015, 10:31am

Table Wine Drinker
Posts: 823
Posts Per Day: 0.14
Reputation: 69.38%
Rep Score: +15 / -8
Approval: +476
Gold Stars: 9
Individuals'

...and I'd concur on your aside about the use of 'unique'...


"Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; for 'tis better to be alone than in bad company."
Logged Offline
Private Message
1
0
0
 Reply: 1 - 12
RichMariner
April 17, 2015, 10:39am
Brandy Drinker
Posts: 2,963
Posts Per Day: 0.50
Reputation: 89.39%
Rep Score: +42 / -4
Location: Garforth, Leeds
Approval: +9,128
Gold Stars: 209
Cheers - that was my gut feeling. Now the really tricky part... can you explain why?


"Don't shine that light in my face, mate - I've just lost a pint of blood."
Logged Offline
Site Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 2 - 12
Maringer
April 17, 2015, 10:50am
Barley Wine Drinker
Posts: 11,169
Posts Per Day: 1.87
Reputation: 82.93%
Rep Score: +60 / -12
Approval: +16,368
Gold Stars: 183
It is the plural possessive:

http://www.scribendi.com/advice/how_to_use_plural_possessives_properly.en.html

On an aside, writing the number '4 thousand' in this sense isn't very good form.

You should really use either '4,000' or 'Four thousand'.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/10-rules-for-writing-numbers-and-numerals/

Adding the word unique is completely redundant, as you note.
Logged Offline
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 3 - 12
RichMariner
April 17, 2015, 12:05pm
Brandy Drinker
Posts: 2,963
Posts Per Day: 0.50
Reputation: 89.39%
Rep Score: +42 / -4
Location: Garforth, Leeds
Approval: +9,128
Gold Stars: 209
Thanks.

The way I see it is:

4,000 unique individuals' behaviour is the noun phrase, with behaviour the head noun.

Analysed is the adverb (the verb is has been dropped, something headlines tend to do).

So the 'behaviour' we're analysing belongs to the 4,000 unique individuals.

It'd be much easier if we could say: "We analysed the behaviour of 4,000 individuals" but alas, the number has to come first in this instance.


"Don't shine that light in my face, mate - I've just lost a pint of blood."
Logged Offline
Site Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 4 - 12
Marinerz93
April 17, 2015, 9:08pm

Barley Wine Drinker
Posts: 15,108
Posts Per Day: 2.57
Reputation: 88.22%
Rep Score: +89 / -11
Location: Great Grimsby
Approval: +6,292
Gold Stars: 1
I thought this was an ask your nana type question thread  

Anyone know what pub does a lovely cavarly  


Supporting the Mighty Mariners for over 30 years, home town club is were the heart and soul is and it's great to be a part of it.

Jesus’ disciple Peter, picked up a fish to get the tribute money from it, Jesus left his thumb print on the fish, bless'ed is the Haddock.
Logged
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 5 - 12
grimsby pete
April 17, 2015, 9:15pm

Exile
Posts: 55,634
Posts Per Day: 9.81
Reputation: 81.7%
Rep Score: +126 / -28
Location: Suffolk
Approval: +17,778
Gold Stars: 221
Quoted from RichMariner
Thanks.

The way I see it is:

4,000 unique individuals' behaviour is the noun phrase, with behaviour the head noun.

Analysed is the adverb (the verb is has been dropped, something headlines tend to do).

So the 'behaviour' we're analysing belongs to the 4,000 unique individuals.

It'd be much easier if we could say: "We analysed the behaviour of 4,000 individuals" but alas, the number has to come first in this instance.


I am intrigued to know what the outcome was after the four thousand had been analysed.


                             Over 36 years living in Suffolk but always a mariner.
                             68 Years following the Town

                              Life member of Trust

                               First game   April 1955
                               
Logged Offline
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 6 - 12
KingstonMariner
April 17, 2015, 11:51pm
Meths Drinker
Posts: 22,096
Posts Per Day: 6.09
Reputation: 79.33%
Rep Score: +42 / -11
Approval: +23,440
Gold Stars: 218
Quoted from Maringer
It is the plural possessive:

http://www.scribendi.com/advice/how_to_use_plural_possessives_properly.en.html

On an aside, writing the number '4 thousand' in this sense isn't very good form.

You should really use either '4,000' or 'Four thousand'.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/10-rules-for-writing-numbers-and-numerals/

Adding the word unique is completely redundant, as you note.


Isn't the word "completely" redundant?  


Through the door there came familiar laughter,
I saw your face and heard you call my name.
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser,
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same.
Logged Offline
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 7 - 12
Maringer
April 18, 2015, 9:04am
Barley Wine Drinker
Posts: 11,169
Posts Per Day: 1.87
Reputation: 82.93%
Rep Score: +60 / -12
Approval: +16,368
Gold Stars: 183
Completely.

It was just a rhetorical device. One of these, I expect:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_rhetorical_terms

I'll be buggered if I'm going to try and work out which was it was though.  
Logged Offline
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 8 - 12
TownSNAFU5
April 18, 2015, 2:36pm
Vodka Drinker
Posts: 5,956
Posts Per Day: 1.13
Reputation: 62.03%
Rep Score: +30 / -21
Location: York
Approval: +6,822
Gold Stars: 42
I agree with the feedback comments above. Is the 4,000 meant to be an exact number or an approximation?
Logged Offline
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 9 - 12
RichMariner
April 18, 2015, 9:53pm
Brandy Drinker
Posts: 2,963
Posts Per Day: 0.50
Reputation: 89.39%
Rep Score: +42 / -4
Location: Garforth, Leeds
Approval: +9,128
Gold Stars: 209
It's an approximation.

I've been editing and proof reading a presentation that I'm not a part of, so the context to all of this is fairly limited I'm afraid.

I believe "unique individuals" and "completely redundant" are examples of pleonasm - a bit like:

  • Personal friends (since when are friends not personal?)
  • Added bonuses (bonuses by their very nature are additional)
  • Free gifts (if you have to pay for it, it's not a gift)


"Don't shine that light in my face, mate - I've just lost a pint of blood."
Logged Offline
Site Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 10 - 12
KingstonMariner
April 25, 2015, 8:29pm
Meths Drinker
Posts: 22,096
Posts Per Day: 6.09
Reputation: 79.33%
Rep Score: +42 / -11
Approval: +23,440
Gold Stars: 218
Quoted from RichMariner
It's an approximation.

I've been editing and proof reading a presentation that I'm not a part of, so the context to all of this is fairly limited I'm afraid.

I believe "unique individuals" and "completely redundant" are examples of pleonasm - a bit like:

  • Personal friends (since when are friends not personal?) When they're FaceBook friends?
  • Added bonuses (bonuses by their very nature are additional)
  • Free gifts (if you have to pay for it, it's not a gift)


Through the door there came familiar laughter,
I saw your face and heard you call my name.
Oh my friend we're older but no wiser,
For in our hearts the dreams are still the same.
Logged Offline
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 11 - 12
codcheeky
April 26, 2015, 10:08am
Cocktail Drinker
Posts: 1,955
Posts Per Day: 0.38
Reputation: 83.82%
Rep Score: +23 / -4
Approval: +1,251
Gold Stars: 31
Quoted from RichMariner
It's an approximation.

I've been editing and proof reading a presentation that I'm not a part of, so the context to all of this is fairly limited I'm afraid.

I believe "unique individuals" and "completely redundant" are examples of pleonasm - a bit like:

  • Personal friends (since when are friends not personal?)
  • Added bonuses (bonuses by their very nature are additional)
  • Free gifts (if you have to pay for it, it's not a gift) Gifts that cost nothing i.e. wild flowers
Logged
Private Message
0
0
0
 Reply: 12 - 12
2 Pages 1 2 All Recommend Thread
Print

Fishy Forum › Fishy Boards › Archive › Grammar question

Back to top of page

This is not an official forum of Grimsby Town Football Club, the opinions expressed are those of the individual authors. If you see an offensive post then click "Report" on the relevant post. Posts will be deleted at the discretion of the moderators whose decision is final. Posts should abide by the Forum Rules. IP addresses of contributors together with dates and times of access are stored. The opinions and viewpoints expressed by contributors to The Fishy are their own and not necessarily those of The Fishy. The Fishy makes no claims that information dispersed through this forum is accurate or reliable. Also The Fishy cannot be held liable for any statements made by contributors of The Fishy.