English Grammar

Perhaps it's the lobster tails

Fugendichter

User since 2008
Posts: 588

12 April 2009

My inner grammar siren wails loudly, when I read this!

The full text of my daily lesson: I suppose I've put on a few pounds: Perhaps it's the lobster tails, they are quite calorific.

In English it seems possible and quite correct to melt singular and plural.
Otherwise I would prefer: Perhaps it's due to the lobster tails.

3 comments

AhQ ['a: kiu]
User since 2006
Posts: 2715
12 April 2009

I consider that shortcut very common in the everyday informal language.
Don't you use similar structures in German?
The 'it' of "It's the lobster tails" is a pronoun substituting for the whole clause "I've put on a few pound." and as you suggest it, "due to" has been dropped. To my mind, just here there is no mixture of singular and plural.
Don't you think so?
Good to you, Gwendo, to have an inner grammar siren! I wish I had one.
I consider that shortcut very common in the everyday informal language. Don't you use similar structures in German? The 'it' of "It's the lobster tails" is a pronoun substituting for the whole clause "I've put on a few pound." and as you suggest it, "due to" has been dropped. To my mind, just here there is no mixture of singular and plural. Don't you think so? Good to you, Gwendo, to have an inner grammar siren! I wish I had one.
Fugendichter
User since 2008
Posts: 588
13 April 2009

High Sandy Ayeomen, Happy Easter!

In German we would say: vielleicht (perhaps) sind es (are they) the lobster tails (die Hummerschwänze).
As you can see, my inner grammar siren is only a German one.
High Sandy Ayeomen, Happy Easter! In German we would say: vielleicht (perhaps) sind es (are they) the lobster tails (die Hummerschwänze). As you can see, my inner grammar siren is only a German one.
Spoiler
User since 2008
Posts: 499
18 April 2009

Hi Gwendo,

Of course, you're right. When I heard stuff like "It's me" or "it's the people" for the first time, my German grammar sirene wailed loudly. But since I've heard phrases like these hundreds of times, my German grammar sirene has got insensitive for the English language - and eventually I've developed a separate English grammar sirene - which is though still failing every now and then.

But it's also logical in this case, due to the strict order in English, which is always:
subject(it) -verb(is) -object(the tails)

In English, "it" is the subject, whereas in German "the tails" is the subject: "Die Hummerschwänze sind es". Since you can swap the order in German, "Es sind die Hummerschwänze" is the same sentence.

In a nutshell: In English "it" (singular) is the subject, in German "lobster tails" (plural) is the subject.

I'm not a teacher, but I hope I have explained it comprehensible.
Hi Gwendo, Of course, you're right. When I heard stuff like "It's me" or "it's the people" for the first time, my German grammar sirene wailed loudly. But since I've heard phrases like these hundreds of times, my German grammar sirene has got insensitive for the English language - and eventually I've developed a separate English grammar sirene - which is though still failing every now and then. But it's also logical in this case, due to the strict order in English, which is always: subject(it) -verb(is) -object(the tails) In English, "it" is the subject, whereas in German "the tails" is the subject: "Die Hummerschwänze sind es". Since you can swap the order in German, "Es sind die Hummerschwänze" is the same sentence. In a nutshell: In English "it" (singular) is the subject, in German "lobster tails" (plural) is the subject. I'm not a teacher, but I hope I have explained it comprehensible.

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