Hatrack River Forum: Grammar Question: Possible mayfly

This is topic Grammar Question: Possible mayfly in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :

Hello:)

I'm making a sign for the library which includes this line:

Tired of hunting through the stacks to read the latest issue of your favorite journals?

Should it be latest issueS of your favorite journals?

Or maybe latest issue of your favorite journal?

I know that whether or not journal is plural isn't really a grammatical question...but what sounds better?

Here's the whole text of the proposed sign:

[Big "WordArt" letters] Is there something we're missing?

[Smaller print] Tired of hunting through the stacks to read the latest issue of your favorite journals?

Tell us about it!

[Bigger, centered bold print] What journals and magazines would you like to see on display?

Thanks:)

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Subject-verb agreement. It needs to be either "issues of your favorite journals" or "issue of your favorite journal". Which one you choose is up to your aesthetics (I prefer the latter.)

Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :

Okay. Thanks:)

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

I think either way would sound just fine, but be consistent: "latest issues of your favorite journals" or "latest issue of your favorite journal." If I have one favorite journal, then there is one latest issue of it. If I have multiple favorite journals, then each one has a latest issue.

Edit: Yeah, what ketchupqueen said.

Posted by Will B (Member # 7931) on :

Technically, you couldn't have one issue of multiple journals. So I'd go with "issues."

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

It could be "issues" of "journal". I'm interested in both the Spring and Summer Edition of "Bare Naked Needlepointing". The latest issues of my favorite journal.

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

Only one can be the latest issue because one will be later than the other.

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

Why not? You can go to a fashion show to see all the latest fashions. No one claims that their dress is the latest, and all the rest are merely "later".

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

But they're all contemporaneous with each other. [Razz]

But I suppose you are correct. The spring and summer issues would be the two latest issues. But there's no reason to get into that sort of technicality.

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jon Boy:
But I suppose you are correct.

As usual.

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Oh, so now you're King Friday? [Razz]

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

And you can be my Queen Sarah. [Razz]

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

I'd rather be Daniel Tiger. I always identified with him a bit as a child.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

quote:
Subject-verb agreement. It needs to be either "issues of your favorite journals" or "issue of your favorite journal".

Nope, this is not subject-verb agreement. In fact, neither word in question is a verb.

Any of the four combinations is grammatically acceptable. Go with what your sense of aesthetics dictates. I personally prefer them both to be plural. I like to think that folks in the librabry are avid readers, and so they will have many favorite journals, and want to read many issues. It seems to send the right vibe to me.

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

"Issues" can be a verb. I'm just wondering what the journals are issuing.

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

quote:
Nope, this is not subject-verb agreement. In fact, neither word in question is a verb.

And I feel really stupid because I know that, and I was kind of not thinking about what I posted... [Blushing]

Sorry. It's been a rough day.

*goes off to pretend to be Daniel Tiger some more*

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

Dear Daniel Tiger,

Sorry that your day is rough. You were right, though, in this context, both "issue" and "journal" are nouns.

With Love,

Henrietta Pussycat

Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :

(((Hatrack)))

You guys are pretty awesome. [Smile]

I went with singular. Issue and Journal.

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

(Pssst... Tante... Shouldn't every other word be "meow-meow" if you're Henrietta Pussycat?)

*watches an awful lot of Mr. Rogers*

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

Edit for Pussycattiness:

Dear meow-meow Daniel Tiger meow-meow,

meow-meow Sorry that your meow-meow day is meow-meow rough. meow-meow You were meow-meow right, meow-meow though, in this meow-meow context, meow-meow both "issue" and meow-meow "journal" are meow-meow nouns.

meow-meow With Love meow-meow,

meow-meow Henrietta Pussycat

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

(I think it should be:

Dear Meow-meow Tiger,

Sorry meow day meow rough. Meow-meow right, meow, meow-meow context, meow "issue" meow "journal" meow nouns.

Meow Love,

Meow-meow Pussycat)

[Wink]

Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :

Did you ever worry about X the Owl being in the same tree with Henrietta Pussycat? Aren't owls predatory birds? Was there ever a "very special" episode about when good friends eat eachother?

And, I must say, that as a child, I always found Lady Elaine Fairchild to be a bit disturbing. Come to think of it, she's still a bit disturbing.

Was "Speedy Delivery" the Mailman on drugs?
Seemed like.

Did you ever see Chef Brockett wash his hands before he started cooking something?
I never did.

Was it just me, or did everyone notice Mr. Rogers pushing the buttons that made Trolley Trolley go back and forth?

Sorry.

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

Everyone loves eachother in the Neighborhood. (They sing songs about it and everything.) So no, I never worried about X and Henrietta.

Lady Elaine is just a little "tetched". And she needs a new tailor.

Mr. McFeely isn't on drugs. Just strange.

Yes, I actually did see Chef Brockett wash his hands, and so did Mr. Rogers.

Of course we saw him push the buttons. We were supposed to. It's a reminder that it's not real. [Smile]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Originally posted by ketchupqueen:
I'd rather be Daniel Tiger. I always identified with him a bit as a child.

Clearly not sufficiently, or you would refer to him as Daniel Striped Tiger. [Razz]

My favorite was always Anna Platypus. [Smile]

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

Wait...Word Art?!

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

quote:
Clearly not sufficiently, or you would refer to him as Daniel Striped Tiger.

Who goes by their middle name all the time? Mr. Rogers and his friends usually refer to him as "Daniel Tiger". [Razz]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

quote:
Who goes by their middle name all the time? Mr. Rogers and his friends usually refer to him as "Daniel Tiger".

Um, me? From 3rd grade through the year after HS? And that's still how many people know me.

Anyway, pretty sure he is always introduced as Daniel Striped Tiger. If I weren't in the middle of moving, I'd haul out my mom's videotape collection and start checking. [Razz]