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english language - (Feb/27/2008 )

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hello people,

i would like to ask here all the native english speakers something about grammar. frustration continues, so please tell me how is this phrase properly written:

a) 100 mg of tissue WAS used and divided into two parts
cool.gif 100 mg of tissue WERE used and divided into two parts

thank you very much.

-toejam-

It depends on whether you consider milligrams to be singular or plural, and I think in this case that it's kind of subjective. I would consider it to be plural and use WERE. If you write it out instead of using the number, then it sounds more pleasing to the ear - 100 milligrams were used vs 100 milligrams was used.

For a good book on the rules of english grammar check out "The elements of Style" by William Strunk and E.B. White. It's a relatively simple little book (8$) that can help you out with a lot of common grammar problems.

-smu2-

"Were" is correct. If you then went on to describe what you did to each of the two parts, you'd use "was"; eg 1 part was treated with X, and the other part was stored at -70 C.
English certainly isn't the easiest language to learn, but when you do, you'll be able to make every thought clear to others.

-swanny-

i think the word "used" is putting it off.

100 mg of tissue was divided into two parts.
or
100mg of tissue were used for this experiment.

V

-vetticus3-

thanks everyone, i appreciate very much all your help smile.gif soon i'll have to present the ielts ohmy.gif we'll see how it goes there!

-toejam-

If "100 mg" is at the beginning of the sentence, 100 should be written in words "One hundred milligrams". Am I right?

-bioforum-

QUOTE (bioforum @ Feb 28 2008, 12:06 PM)
If "100 mg" is at the beginning of the sentence, 100 should be written in words "One hundred milligrams". Am I right?

That sounds right. Hey, how does a panda know so much English grammar?

-swanny-

QUOTE (toejam @ Feb 28 2008, 04:50 AM)
a) 100 mg of tissue WAS used and divided into two parts
cool.gif 100 mg of tissue WERE used and divided into two parts

QUOTE (smu2 @ Feb 28 2008, 06:22 AM)
It depends on whether you consider milligrams to be singular or plural, and I think in this case that it's kind of subjective. I would consider it to be plural and use WERE. If you write it out instead of using the number, then it sounds more pleasing to the ear - 100 milligrams were used vs 100 milligrams was used.

For a good book on the rules of english grammar check out "The elements of Style" by William Strunk and E.B. White. It's a relatively simple little book (8$) that can help you out with a lot of common grammar problems.


I have one confusion about this discussion.

Please help me understand this. I am not able to differentiate between a few things. There are 2 countable variables in the sentence - amount of tissue (100g) and type of tissue (more than one type is possible - thymus, muscles. . .). So which one does 'was' and 'were' refer to?

I understood it the wrong way I think. How do U differentiate?

* 1 mg of tissue was used and divided into two parts.
* 1 mg of tissues were used and divided into two parts.
* 100mg of tissue was used and divided into two parts.
* 100mg of tissues were used and divided into two parts.

-Bungalow Boy-

First of all, the amount of tissue (in mg) is a countable variable (quantitative variable), but the type of tissue is uncountable (qualitative variable).
100 mg of leaf tissue were used and (were) divided etc. (You use plural because you have 100 mg. The phrase "of leaf tissue" refers to the "100 mg" and is present in the sentence to define what kind of 100 mg you used)
The same goes for the second sentence:
1 mg of tissues was used and (was) divided etc. (That's again because the subject of the sentence is "1 mg", whereas "of tissues" is just defining)

It's the same mistake that almost everybody makes:
There is a few of them (right, because the verb "is" refers to "a few" which is singular)
There is lots of them (wrong, because the verb "is" refers to "lots" which is plural)
There are lots of them (right)

-f2dU-

QUOTE (vetticus3 @ Feb 27 2008, 11:04 PM)
i think the word "used" is putting it off.

100 mg of tissue was divided into two parts.
or
100mg of tissue were used for this experiment.

V


I don't understand the difference you made V. Aren't both sentences referring to the 100mg of tissue so WERE should be used in both cases?

-almost a doctor-

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