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Is “that's two words” grammatically correct?
The 2019 Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results Are InIs the phrase “it is people like you” correct?What is the correct plural form of the word “forum”?Changing plurality in parenthesesWhat’s the plural of “Valentine’s”What is the possessive form of a singular noun ending with a plural s?Compound words/noun phrases in english with different number of words in plural/singular formPlural of Friday 13th?Two plural nouns in a rowIs the phrase “various information” grammatically correct?Is it correct to use singular form of the verb equals, ie “equal” when both values are plural? What about when only the initial value is plural?From the age or ages of fifteen to twenty-one?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;
Is "that's two words" grammatically correct?
Or should it be "those are two words"?
I think the second example using "those" is correct since it refers to the word in its plural form.
I could only find examples on the internet where people write "that's two words", and I am not sure if that is right.
grammatical-number
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
add a comment |
Is "that's two words" grammatically correct?
Or should it be "those are two words"?
I think the second example using "those" is correct since it refers to the word in its plural form.
I could only find examples on the internet where people write "that's two words", and I am not sure if that is right.
grammatical-number
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
3
It is valid, in the proper context.
– Hot Licks
May 31 '18 at 23:01
2
That (statement) is two words (long).
– Nigel J
May 31 '18 at 23:07
The context should be when analysing two words.. like: "self defence" or "common sense"
– Anderson
May 31 '18 at 23:09
There are people here who would argue that open compounds each constitute a single word. Leaving aside that issue: as Nigel suggests, there is notional agreement in " 'Common sense' for a single-word answer? That's two words." ie " ... That answer / suggestion / expression ... comprises/involves two [orthographic] words." Notional agreement is still something of a grey area, so one could estimate this as being say 80% acceptable. "Those are two words" here would perhaps be only 75% acceptable on non-idiomaticity grounds.
– Edwin Ashworth
May 31 '18 at 23:39
add a comment |
Is "that's two words" grammatically correct?
Or should it be "those are two words"?
I think the second example using "those" is correct since it refers to the word in its plural form.
I could only find examples on the internet where people write "that's two words", and I am not sure if that is right.
grammatical-number
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
Is "that's two words" grammatically correct?
Or should it be "those are two words"?
I think the second example using "those" is correct since it refers to the word in its plural form.
I could only find examples on the internet where people write "that's two words", and I am not sure if that is right.
grammatical-number
grammatical-number
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
asked May 31 '18 at 22:58
AndersonAnderson
62
62
3
It is valid, in the proper context.
– Hot Licks
May 31 '18 at 23:01
2
That (statement) is two words (long).
– Nigel J
May 31 '18 at 23:07
The context should be when analysing two words.. like: "self defence" or "common sense"
– Anderson
May 31 '18 at 23:09
There are people here who would argue that open compounds each constitute a single word. Leaving aside that issue: as Nigel suggests, there is notional agreement in " 'Common sense' for a single-word answer? That's two words." ie " ... That answer / suggestion / expression ... comprises/involves two [orthographic] words." Notional agreement is still something of a grey area, so one could estimate this as being say 80% acceptable. "Those are two words" here would perhaps be only 75% acceptable on non-idiomaticity grounds.
– Edwin Ashworth
May 31 '18 at 23:39
add a comment |
3
It is valid, in the proper context.
– Hot Licks
May 31 '18 at 23:01
2
That (statement) is two words (long).
– Nigel J
May 31 '18 at 23:07
The context should be when analysing two words.. like: "self defence" or "common sense"
– Anderson
May 31 '18 at 23:09
There are people here who would argue that open compounds each constitute a single word. Leaving aside that issue: as Nigel suggests, there is notional agreement in " 'Common sense' for a single-word answer? That's two words." ie " ... That answer / suggestion / expression ... comprises/involves two [orthographic] words." Notional agreement is still something of a grey area, so one could estimate this as being say 80% acceptable. "Those are two words" here would perhaps be only 75% acceptable on non-idiomaticity grounds.
– Edwin Ashworth
May 31 '18 at 23:39
3
3
It is valid, in the proper context.
– Hot Licks
May 31 '18 at 23:01
It is valid, in the proper context.
– Hot Licks
May 31 '18 at 23:01
2
2
That (statement) is two words (long).
– Nigel J
May 31 '18 at 23:07
That (statement) is two words (long).
– Nigel J
May 31 '18 at 23:07
The context should be when analysing two words.. like: "self defence" or "common sense"
– Anderson
May 31 '18 at 23:09
The context should be when analysing two words.. like: "self defence" or "common sense"
– Anderson
May 31 '18 at 23:09
There are people here who would argue that open compounds each constitute a single word. Leaving aside that issue: as Nigel suggests, there is notional agreement in " 'Common sense' for a single-word answer? That's two words." ie " ... That answer / suggestion / expression ... comprises/involves two [orthographic] words." Notional agreement is still something of a grey area, so one could estimate this as being say 80% acceptable. "Those are two words" here would perhaps be only 75% acceptable on non-idiomaticity grounds.
– Edwin Ashworth
May 31 '18 at 23:39
There are people here who would argue that open compounds each constitute a single word. Leaving aside that issue: as Nigel suggests, there is notional agreement in " 'Common sense' for a single-word answer? That's two words." ie " ... That answer / suggestion / expression ... comprises/involves two [orthographic] words." Notional agreement is still something of a grey area, so one could estimate this as being say 80% acceptable. "Those are two words" here would perhaps be only 75% acceptable on non-idiomaticity grounds.
– Edwin Ashworth
May 31 '18 at 23:39
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
First, let's expand the contraction to clearly show the subject and the verb:
That is two words.
"That"--demonstrative pronoun (singular) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That ]
"is"--a linking verb (singular; NOT an action verb).
When a linking verb is used
"A linking verb ("is," "are," "was," "were," "seem" and others) agrees with its subject, not its complement."
[ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/subjectverb/ ]
"words"--subject complement (quantified by "two"--numeral determiner)
"A subject complement follows a linking verb; it is normally an adjective or a noun that renames or defines in some way the subject."
[http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/objects.htm ]
Based on that, I don't think it would've mattered if there were 1000 words, as long as "that" referred to something singular, such as an essay...or, another example, a Stephen King novel: I read Duma Key. That's 609 pages!
The last page is two sentences:
Know when you're finished, and when you are, put your pencil or your paintbrush down. All the rest is only life.
(Which reminds me, something singular, as I put it, may be a mass noun, not necessarily a countable noun, if I'm not mistaken...but I'm finished now.)
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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votes
First, let's expand the contraction to clearly show the subject and the verb:
That is two words.
"That"--demonstrative pronoun (singular) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That ]
"is"--a linking verb (singular; NOT an action verb).
When a linking verb is used
"A linking verb ("is," "are," "was," "were," "seem" and others) agrees with its subject, not its complement."
[ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/subjectverb/ ]
"words"--subject complement (quantified by "two"--numeral determiner)
"A subject complement follows a linking verb; it is normally an adjective or a noun that renames or defines in some way the subject."
[http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/objects.htm ]
Based on that, I don't think it would've mattered if there were 1000 words, as long as "that" referred to something singular, such as an essay...or, another example, a Stephen King novel: I read Duma Key. That's 609 pages!
The last page is two sentences:
Know when you're finished, and when you are, put your pencil or your paintbrush down. All the rest is only life.
(Which reminds me, something singular, as I put it, may be a mass noun, not necessarily a countable noun, if I'm not mistaken...but I'm finished now.)
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
add a comment |
First, let's expand the contraction to clearly show the subject and the verb:
That is two words.
"That"--demonstrative pronoun (singular) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That ]
"is"--a linking verb (singular; NOT an action verb).
When a linking verb is used
"A linking verb ("is," "are," "was," "were," "seem" and others) agrees with its subject, not its complement."
[ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/subjectverb/ ]
"words"--subject complement (quantified by "two"--numeral determiner)
"A subject complement follows a linking verb; it is normally an adjective or a noun that renames or defines in some way the subject."
[http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/objects.htm ]
Based on that, I don't think it would've mattered if there were 1000 words, as long as "that" referred to something singular, such as an essay...or, another example, a Stephen King novel: I read Duma Key. That's 609 pages!
The last page is two sentences:
Know when you're finished, and when you are, put your pencil or your paintbrush down. All the rest is only life.
(Which reminds me, something singular, as I put it, may be a mass noun, not necessarily a countable noun, if I'm not mistaken...but I'm finished now.)
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
add a comment |
First, let's expand the contraction to clearly show the subject and the verb:
That is two words.
"That"--demonstrative pronoun (singular) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That ]
"is"--a linking verb (singular; NOT an action verb).
When a linking verb is used
"A linking verb ("is," "are," "was," "were," "seem" and others) agrees with its subject, not its complement."
[ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/subjectverb/ ]
"words"--subject complement (quantified by "two"--numeral determiner)
"A subject complement follows a linking verb; it is normally an adjective or a noun that renames or defines in some way the subject."
[http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/objects.htm ]
Based on that, I don't think it would've mattered if there were 1000 words, as long as "that" referred to something singular, such as an essay...or, another example, a Stephen King novel: I read Duma Key. That's 609 pages!
The last page is two sentences:
Know when you're finished, and when you are, put your pencil or your paintbrush down. All the rest is only life.
(Which reminds me, something singular, as I put it, may be a mass noun, not necessarily a countable noun, if I'm not mistaken...but I'm finished now.)
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
First, let's expand the contraction to clearly show the subject and the verb:
That is two words.
"That"--demonstrative pronoun (singular) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That ]
"is"--a linking verb (singular; NOT an action verb).
When a linking verb is used
"A linking verb ("is," "are," "was," "were," "seem" and others) agrees with its subject, not its complement."
[ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/subjectverb/ ]
"words"--subject complement (quantified by "two"--numeral determiner)
"A subject complement follows a linking verb; it is normally an adjective or a noun that renames or defines in some way the subject."
[http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/objects.htm ]
Based on that, I don't think it would've mattered if there were 1000 words, as long as "that" referred to something singular, such as an essay...or, another example, a Stephen King novel: I read Duma Key. That's 609 pages!
The last page is two sentences:
Know when you're finished, and when you are, put your pencil or your paintbrush down. All the rest is only life.
(Which reminds me, something singular, as I put it, may be a mass noun, not necessarily a countable noun, if I'm not mistaken...but I'm finished now.)
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
edited 7 hours ago
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
answered Jun 1 '18 at 6:01
KannEKannE
1,174219
1,174219
add a comment |
add a comment |
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3
It is valid, in the proper context.
– Hot Licks
May 31 '18 at 23:01
2
That (statement) is two words (long).
– Nigel J
May 31 '18 at 23:07
The context should be when analysing two words.. like: "self defence" or "common sense"
– Anderson
May 31 '18 at 23:09
There are people here who would argue that open compounds each constitute a single word. Leaving aside that issue: as Nigel suggests, there is notional agreement in " 'Common sense' for a single-word answer? That's two words." ie " ... That answer / suggestion / expression ... comprises/involves two [orthographic] words." Notional agreement is still something of a grey area, so one could estimate this as being say 80% acceptable. "Those are two words" here would perhaps be only 75% acceptable on non-idiomaticity grounds.
– Edwin Ashworth
May 31 '18 at 23:39