Re: input and output

[Tony Rocco <tony_rocco -at- NAVIS -dot- COM>]

                      RE>>input and output                         8/22/96

I think it depends on how the terms are used. In most cases, "input" and
"output" are collective nouns and would not be pluralized. You would say, "My
computer output was wrong," meaning that all the various data output from
your computer was wrong.

However, in some cases "input" and "output" refer to singular things, like
the physical inputs on a VCR or outputs of a stereo receiver or amplifier, in
which case they are pluralized when referring to more than one.

--------------------------------------
Date: 8/22/96 17:25
To: Tony Rocco
From: Kathryn Whitver
Rebecca Phillips <rebecca -at- qronus -dot- co -dot- il> wrote:

>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.

I agree with you that "inputs and outputs" sounds clumsy, although
I'm not sure that it would be wrong.  You could  circumvent the
problem by writing "input signals" or "output signals" or "input and
output signals" (or whatever is appropriate here...voltages, data,
etc.)

Kathryn

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