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	<title>plural Archives - copyeditor.se</title>
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		<title>Experience or experiences?</title>
		<link>https://copyeditor.se/experience-or-experiences/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Mar 2023 10:39:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vocabulary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[difference]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[english]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[experiences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[noun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plural]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[verb]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://copyeditor.se/?p=2129</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It may be difficult to understand the difference between experience and experiences. Experience has two meanings. The first is something that has happened to you. You might say, I had a strange experience on my way to work this morning. This experience can take the plural form, experiences: He talked about his bad experiences with [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se/experience-or-experiences/">Experience or experiences?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se">copyeditor.se</a>.</p>
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<p>It may be difficult to understand the difference between <strong>experience</strong> and <strong>experiences</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>Experience</strong> has two meanings. The first is <em>something that has happened to you</em>. You might say, I had <strong>a strange experience</strong> on my way to work this morning.</p>



<p>This <strong>experience</strong> can take the plural form, <strong>experiences</strong>:</p>



<p>He talked about his bad <strong>experiences</strong> with cheap hotels.<br>You wouldn’t believe me if I told you about my <strong>experiences</strong> in the Himalayas.</p>



<p>The other meaning of <strong>experience</strong> is<em> what you have learnt</em> from studies or work or from familiarity with something. This is what you would write in your CV. <strong>Experience</strong> in this case is an uncountable noun; it cannot be used in the plural.</p>



<p>You must have at least five years of <strong>teaching experience</strong>.<br><strong>In my experience</strong>, this is a very good car.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="536" src="https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ad-1024x536.jpg" alt="Man typing on a computer keyboard. The screen shows two documents. The image illustrates the use of the word experience as opposed to experiences." class="wp-image-2131" srcset="https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ad-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ad-300x157.jpg 300w, https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ad-768x402.jpg 768w, https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ad-676x354.jpg 676w, https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ad.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Experience of computing is always valued</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>Experience</strong> can also be a verb:</p>



<p>She <strong>experienced</strong> a sense of being valued for her brains and not only for her beauty.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se/experience-or-experiences/">Experience or experiences?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se">copyeditor.se</a>.</p>
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		<title>About brothers-in-law and runners-up</title>
		<link>https://copyeditor.se/about-brothers-in-law-and-runners-up/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2022 17:51:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grammar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vocabulary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[compound]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[english]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genitive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hyphenated]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plural]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://copyeditor.se/?p=2034</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In an earlier blog post we looked at compounds and and noted that some are written with one or two hyphens. Here are a few examples: Brother-in-law (your sister’s husband or your wife’s or husband’s brother)Runner-up (one who finishes in second place)Cul-de-sac (a street that is closed at one end)Editor-in-chief (the manager of an editorial [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se/about-brothers-in-law-and-runners-up/">About brothers-in-law and runners-up</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se">copyeditor.se</a>.</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>In an earlier blog post we looked at <a href="https://copyeditor.se/compounds-in-english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">compounds</a> and and noted that some are written with one or two hyphens. Here are a few examples:</p>



<p>Brother-in-law (your sister’s husband or your wife’s or husband’s brother)<br>Runner-up (one who finishes in second place)<br>Cul-de-sac (a street that is closed at one end)<br>Editor-in-chief (the manager of an editorial staff)</p>



<p>How should you write the plural form of such compounds? The answer is fairly logical: add the plural -s to the main part of the compound, the significant part.</p>



<p>Brothers-in-law<br>Runners-up<br>Editors-in-chief</p>



<p>Cul-de-sac has two plural forms: culs-de-sac or cul-de-sacs</p>



<p>When we write the genitive form, the -s comes at the end when we talk about people:&nbsp;</p>



<p>My brother-in-law’s new car<br>The editor-in-chief’s wife</p>



<p>However, you can also write</p>



<p>The wife of the editor-in-chief</p>



<p>When we talk about things, we use the genitive form with <strong>of</strong>:</p>



<p>The end of the cul-de-sac</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se/about-brothers-in-law-and-runners-up/">About brothers-in-law and runners-up</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se">copyeditor.se</a>.</p>
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		<title>Can they be one person?</title>
		<link>https://copyeditor.se/can-they-be-one-person/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2020 09:53:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[copyediting]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gender-neutral]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[he or she]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[his or her]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonbinary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[number]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plural]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pronoun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[somebody]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[they]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://copyeditor.se/?p=1384</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>When we write about a person, it is sometimes not clear whether we refer to a man or a woman. Words such as somebody or person are neutral and can refer to either gender. That causes a problem for instance when we need to use a pronoun in the singular and still want to be [&#8230;]</p>
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										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>When we write about a person, it is sometimes not clear whether we refer to a man or a woman. Words such as <strong>somebody</strong> or <strong>person</strong> are neutral and can refer to either gender. That causes a problem for instance when we need to use a pronoun in the singular and still want to be gender-neutral.</p>



<p>One way is to write <strong>he or she</strong> and <strong>his or her</strong> or <strong>he/she</strong> and <strong>his/her</strong>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Somebody left <strong>his or her</strong> umbrella on the train.<br>The preferences a person has about what <strong>he/she</strong> does should be taken into account.</p>



<p></p>



<p>However, writing <strong>he or she</strong>, etc., looks a bit clumsy. Using <strong>they</strong> even if we talk about one person is nowadays generally accepted also by most style guides.</p>



<p>Somebody left <strong>their</strong> umbrella on the train.<br>Why would anybody want to end <strong>their</strong> life?<br>Each child played with <strong>their</strong> own toys.<br>Every teacher used <strong>their</strong> own method.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20090402-_DSC3805-copy.jpg" alt="An umbrella hanging on a hedge." class="wp-image-1389" width="771" height="513" srcset="https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20090402-_DSC3805-copy.jpg 500w, https://copyeditor.se/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20090402-_DSC3805-copy-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px" /><figcaption>Somebody left their umbrella here</figcaption></figure>



<p>In fact, <strong>they</strong> has been used in the singular (in writing) since the 14<sup>th</sup> century.</p>



<p>We can use the singular form <strong>themself</strong> if we refer to one person (and <strong>themselves</strong> is also correct).</p>



<p>Everybody must look after <strong><span style="font-weight: 600;">themsel</span>f</strong> (or <strong>themselves</strong>).<br>It&#8217;s all about letting someone be <strong>themself</strong>. (Cambridge Dictionary)</p>



<p>To language purists the singular form <strong>themself</strong> may seem unnatural. However, it was used in English as early as the 1300s and there are examples from Emily Dickinson and F. Scott Fitzgerald well over a hundred years ago.  Even if <strong>themself</strong> is still seen by a majority as nonstandard, the word is gaining popularity. And it is practical. After all, we write <strong>yourself</strong> and <strong>yourselves</strong>.</p>



<p><strong>They</strong> is nowadays sometimes used to refer to a person whose gender is nonbinary, that is, who wants to be identified as neither male nor female. This use may still sound strange to many people.</p>



<p>Kim, our new coworker, wants to be referred to as <strong>they</strong>.<br>Sam drinks <strong>their</strong> coffee without sugar.</p>



<p><strong>They</strong> was Merriam-Webster&#8217;s Word of the Year 2019.</p>



<p>Traditionallly, <strong>he</strong> used to refer to a person whose gender was unknown, but that use has come to be seen as sexist. Now some writers seem to want to counteract male dominance by using only the female forms <strong>she</strong> and <strong>her</strong> even when the reference may be to a neutral word such as <strong>person</strong>.</p>



<p>How can a person make sure that <strong>her</strong> views are taken into consideration?</p>



<p>To sum up, use <strong>they</strong> (and <strong>them</strong>, <strong>their</strong>) when the gender of the person referred to is unknown or irrelevant.</p>



<p>Avoid writing combined forms such as <strong>s/he</strong> or <strong>(s)he</strong>.</p>



<p>You can read about the use of gender-neutral titles <a href="https://copyeditor.se/what-if-the-chairman-is-a-woman/">here</a>.<br></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se/can-they-be-one-person/">Can they be one person?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://copyeditor.se">copyeditor.se</a>.</p>
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