Confusion in was and were: The diameter length of X,Y,Z was/were 4,5,6 respectively
I am confused with the usage of was vs were in the following sentence:
The length of diameter of three plates X, Y, Z was/were 4, 5, 6 respectively.
I am not sure which one is correct: was or were.
Should it be "was" since it's referring to diameter?
grammar verb-agreement
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
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I am confused with the usage of was vs were in the following sentence:
The length of diameter of three plates X, Y, Z was/were 4, 5, 6 respectively.
I am not sure which one is correct: was or were.
Should it be "was" since it's referring to diameter?
grammar verb-agreement
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
New contributor
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
I'd rephrase to The diameter lengths of three plates X, Y, Z were 4, 5, 6 respectively, where it seems pretty clear-cut that we'd naturally use the plural form.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
1
Welcome to ELU. You might find English Language Learners more suited to questions like this. I don't think you need to include "length" at all. The sentence could be phrased "The diameters of the three plates X,Y,Z were 4,5,6 respectively." Your difficulty is because you've used "length of diameter", which is singular, but you have three values (plural).
– Pam
yesterday
Toss out "lengths" entirely. "The diameters of the three plates X, Y, and Z were 4, 5, and 6, respectively."
– Hot Licks
yesterday
add a comment |
I am confused with the usage of was vs were in the following sentence:
The length of diameter of three plates X, Y, Z was/were 4, 5, 6 respectively.
I am not sure which one is correct: was or were.
Should it be "was" since it's referring to diameter?
grammar verb-agreement
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
New contributor
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I am confused with the usage of was vs were in the following sentence:
The length of diameter of three plates X, Y, Z was/were 4, 5, 6 respectively.
I am not sure which one is correct: was or were.
Should it be "was" since it's referring to diameter?
grammar verb-agreement
grammar verb-agreement
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
New contributor
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
New contributor
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
New contributor
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
asked yesterday
hi15hi15
1011
1011
New contributor
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
hi15 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
2
I'd rephrase to The diameter lengths of three plates X, Y, Z were 4, 5, 6 respectively, where it seems pretty clear-cut that we'd naturally use the plural form.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
1
Welcome to ELU. You might find English Language Learners more suited to questions like this. I don't think you need to include "length" at all. The sentence could be phrased "The diameters of the three plates X,Y,Z were 4,5,6 respectively." Your difficulty is because you've used "length of diameter", which is singular, but you have three values (plural).
– Pam
yesterday
Toss out "lengths" entirely. "The diameters of the three plates X, Y, and Z were 4, 5, and 6, respectively."
– Hot Licks
yesterday
add a comment |
2
I'd rephrase to The diameter lengths of three plates X, Y, Z were 4, 5, 6 respectively, where it seems pretty clear-cut that we'd naturally use the plural form.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
1
Welcome to ELU. You might find English Language Learners more suited to questions like this. I don't think you need to include "length" at all. The sentence could be phrased "The diameters of the three plates X,Y,Z were 4,5,6 respectively." Your difficulty is because you've used "length of diameter", which is singular, but you have three values (plural).
– Pam
yesterday
Toss out "lengths" entirely. "The diameters of the three plates X, Y, and Z were 4, 5, and 6, respectively."
– Hot Licks
yesterday
2
2
I'd rephrase to The diameter lengths of three plates X, Y, Z were 4, 5, 6 respectively, where it seems pretty clear-cut that we'd naturally use the plural form.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
I'd rephrase to The diameter lengths of three plates X, Y, Z were 4, 5, 6 respectively, where it seems pretty clear-cut that we'd naturally use the plural form.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
1
1
Welcome to ELU. You might find English Language Learners more suited to questions like this. I don't think you need to include "length" at all. The sentence could be phrased "The diameters of the three plates X,Y,Z were 4,5,6 respectively." Your difficulty is because you've used "length of diameter", which is singular, but you have three values (plural).
– Pam
yesterday
Welcome to ELU. You might find English Language Learners more suited to questions like this. I don't think you need to include "length" at all. The sentence could be phrased "The diameters of the three plates X,Y,Z were 4,5,6 respectively." Your difficulty is because you've used "length of diameter", which is singular, but you have three values (plural).
– Pam
yesterday
Toss out "lengths" entirely. "The diameters of the three plates X, Y, and Z were 4, 5, and 6, respectively."
– Hot Licks
yesterday
Toss out "lengths" entirely. "The diameters of the three plates X, Y, and Z were 4, 5, and 6, respectively."
– Hot Licks
yesterday
add a comment |
2 Answers
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The sentence is constructed poorly, but the correct conjugation is "was" because the subject in the sentence is 'length', not 'diameter' nor 'plates'.
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
add a comment |
I guess that the sentence is the answer to question. So it is impossible to be sure sure whether the answer quoted is to a question, whose wording we do not have. But I should have said "The diameters of the three plates, X, Y and Z, were 4,5 and 6, respectively". The word 'length' is superfluous: a diameter is a length. Better still, "The three plates X,Y and Z **had diameters of 4,5 and 6, respectively.
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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The sentence is constructed poorly, but the correct conjugation is "was" because the subject in the sentence is 'length', not 'diameter' nor 'plates'.
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
add a comment |
The sentence is constructed poorly, but the correct conjugation is "was" because the subject in the sentence is 'length', not 'diameter' nor 'plates'.
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
add a comment |
The sentence is constructed poorly, but the correct conjugation is "was" because the subject in the sentence is 'length', not 'diameter' nor 'plates'.
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
The sentence is constructed poorly, but the correct conjugation is "was" because the subject in the sentence is 'length', not 'diameter' nor 'plates'.
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
answered yesterday
Samuel MartinSamuel Martin
11
11
add a comment |
add a comment |
I guess that the sentence is the answer to question. So it is impossible to be sure sure whether the answer quoted is to a question, whose wording we do not have. But I should have said "The diameters of the three plates, X, Y and Z, were 4,5 and 6, respectively". The word 'length' is superfluous: a diameter is a length. Better still, "The three plates X,Y and Z **had diameters of 4,5 and 6, respectively.
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
add a comment |
I guess that the sentence is the answer to question. So it is impossible to be sure sure whether the answer quoted is to a question, whose wording we do not have. But I should have said "The diameters of the three plates, X, Y and Z, were 4,5 and 6, respectively". The word 'length' is superfluous: a diameter is a length. Better still, "The three plates X,Y and Z **had diameters of 4,5 and 6, respectively.
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
add a comment |
I guess that the sentence is the answer to question. So it is impossible to be sure sure whether the answer quoted is to a question, whose wording we do not have. But I should have said "The diameters of the three plates, X, Y and Z, were 4,5 and 6, respectively". The word 'length' is superfluous: a diameter is a length. Better still, "The three plates X,Y and Z **had diameters of 4,5 and 6, respectively.
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
I guess that the sentence is the answer to question. So it is impossible to be sure sure whether the answer quoted is to a question, whose wording we do not have. But I should have said "The diameters of the three plates, X, Y and Z, were 4,5 and 6, respectively". The word 'length' is superfluous: a diameter is a length. Better still, "The three plates X,Y and Z **had diameters of 4,5 and 6, respectively.
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
answered yesterday
TuffyTuffy
4,0251621
4,0251621
add a comment |
add a comment |
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2
I'd rephrase to The diameter lengths of three plates X, Y, Z were 4, 5, 6 respectively, where it seems pretty clear-cut that we'd naturally use the plural form.
– FumbleFingers
yesterday
1
Welcome to ELU. You might find English Language Learners more suited to questions like this. I don't think you need to include "length" at all. The sentence could be phrased "The diameters of the three plates X,Y,Z were 4,5,6 respectively." Your difficulty is because you've used "length of diameter", which is singular, but you have three values (plural).
– Pam
yesterday
Toss out "lengths" entirely. "The diameters of the three plates X, Y, and Z were 4, 5, and 6, respectively."
– Hot Licks
yesterday