this post was submitted on 03 Jun 2024
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"them"?
Do you refer to a bag of popcorn as one singular popped corn?
I refer to a bag of popcorn as a bag of popcorn
You yourself just referred to it as a "bag"
Yeah but it's like the difference between a shirt and a pair of pants.
Pants are one singular item yet we use a plural word to describe them.
Are you trolling? Nobody says popcorns.
No this is just an example of the opposite.
We also use singular words when referring to the plural. Corn is a perfect example. Corn is the singular and the plural.
So using "them" when referring to corn (or in this case popcorn) makes sense. There are multiple kernels and with "them" being a plural pronoun it fits.
I was saying 'popcorns'.....
It's a singular mass noun like sand. Do you say "popcorns"?
The sands of time.
I would like one sack of sands, please.
https://youtu.be/YGqdjaz2Upg
It's like fish and sheep. One popcorn, two popcorn, a bag of popcorn.
You can't say "one popcorn" or "two popcorn" because mass nouns aren't countable. It's just "popcorn" for any amount of popcorn. Notice I said "amount" and not "number" because, again, popcorn is a mass noun and cannot be enumerated. If you want to enumerate kernals of popcorn, you have to say "kernels of popcorn".
Yes, you can. I just did. Try to stop me.
Yes, actually. I refer to it as "popcorn" just like you did just now.
A serving is often treated as singular a unit in English. Popcorn, rice, candy, etc. "I ate all of it," not "I ate all of them." Only when referring to pieces of popcorn does it become them.
Context tells us they bought two or more.
Could be one cob of corn with many popped kernels, you can't prove it's not...
In English popcorn is pronouned as a non living item: it
That's singular, though. If you're talking about two bags of popcorn, how do you refer to them?
Well, most couples would share one bag, and in this context specifically, it would also be awkward wording even if that's what they meant.
But yes you could in some context obviously also talk about bags of popcorn as "them".
In the first panel he cashier is asking if they want 'them' salty or sweet. Indicating that contrary to what would be common this couple has, indeed, chosen to buy multiple bags. Perhaps there was a special offer making it make far more economic sense to have separate bags on the occasion.
And at the same time they aren't referring to anything individual about them. Struck me as a non native English speaker writing a bit improperly
How so?
Two bags on top of the machine in the first panel, maybe?