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Subject:Sugar (input and output) From:Tom Neuburger <Tom_Neuburger -at- LTX-TR -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 14 Aug 1996 08:15:58 -0600
Reply to: Sugar (input and output)
Rebecca,
I take "input" to be like "sugar"--a collective noun, usually not counted.
Some sugar, lots of sugar. We would say "sugars" to mean many
kinds of sugar. So in that sense--one sugar, many sugars (beet sugar,
cane sugar, etc.).
The parallel is one input, lots of input, when input is considered a mass
or a quantity regardless of its "grains". But when the number of inputs
is important (as in this sentence), they are counted--one input, two
inputs.
You're still left to decide when to use which construction. But
I think your ear for what sounds right should guide you well.
Hope this helps.
Tom Neuburger
--------------------------------------
Date: 8/14/96 3:04 AM
From: Rebecca Phillips
Are input and output plural nouns? Inputs and outputs sound wrong to me, =
but the engineers here seem to feel that since there is more than one =
thing input, it should be a plural.
Rebecca M. Phillips
Documentation Manager
Qronus Interactive Ltd.
rebecca -at- qronus -dot- co -dot- il
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