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Subject:Re: Grammar of verbs for nouns with "(s)" From:"Downing, David" <DavidDowning -at- users -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:35:27 -0600
From: Geoff Hart <ghart -at- videotron -dot- ca>
Subject: Grammar of verbs for nouns with "(s)"?
[snip]
Ideally, the interface should be smart enough to choose the correct
noun-verb combination (singular for one deleted meeting or plural for
two or more) based on the user's actions, but that's never gonna
happen.
[snip]
------------------------------------
Another variation on this theme that I have encountered concerns
telephone-based interfaces for voice mailboxes. The best ones will have
a whole separate statement for the case of having only one message.
I.e., "One new message is in your mailbox," as opposed to "[Two, Three,
etc.] messages are in your mailbox." Less sophisticated systems don't
do this. I remember one that was constantly telling me "You have one new
messages" -- and after awhile, it started to sound right.
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