Thanks as singular or plural
Tim Frink
what is the correct form:
"many thanks go to someone" or "many thanks goes to someone" ?
I'm not sure if "thanks" can be considered singular or plural.
Regards,
Tim
Leslie Danks
For me, it's plural; but why not leave "go(es)" out all together:
"Many thanks to someone"?
--
Les (BrE)
Alex-93
would use "goes". How about using " Many thanks to someone .."
--------------------------------------------------------------
The heart reveals what smiles betray..
Alex-93: http://www.englishforums.com/user/bdxpx/profile.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------
mm
wrote:
It's plural. If it were singular, you yourself would have said "much
thanks".
If you say "Much thanks goes to someone", then it's singular.
>
>Regards,
>Tim
--
Posters should say where they live, and for which area
they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in
Western Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn, NY 12 years
Baltimore 26 years
Mxsmanic
It's plural:
"Our thanks go to him."
"Those are the thanks I get."
Dr Peter Young
> On Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:31:49 +0000 (UTC), Tim Frink <plf...@yahoo.de>
> wrote:
>>Hi,
>>
>>what is the correct form:
>>"many thanks go to someone" or "many thanks goes to someone" ?
>>
>>I'm not sure if "thanks" can be considered singular or plural.
> It's plural. If it were singular, you yourself would have said "much
> thanks".
Which is what the late Mr Shakespeare wrote. "For this relief much
thanks"; Hamlet, Act 1 scene 1, if I remember correctly.
With best wishes,
Peter.
--
Peter Young, (BrE, RP), Consultant Anaesthetist, 1975-2004.
(US equivalent: Certified Anesthesiologist)
Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK. Now happily retired.
http://pnyoung.orpheusweb.co.uk
Ian Jackson
Leslie Danks <leslie...@aon.at> writes
something like "An expression of many thanks ...", it would be singular.
--
Ian
Leslie Danks
Yes, because then "expression" is the relevant noun.
--
Les (BrE)
mm
wrote:
Well, most of the time, but we haven't seen the whole sentence. If
it's "An expression of many thanks was sent to the donor", absolutely
right.
If it is "An expression of many thanks, as were sent in several
recordings spoken in several langauges, merci, todah, gracias" then
Ian is wrong and "thanks" still takes the plural verb "were".
Leslie Danks
> On Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:50:50 +0100, Leslie Danks <leslie...@aon.at>
> wrote:
>
>>Ian Jackson wrote:
>>
>>> In message <4ba606d3$0$13735$91ce...@newsreader03.highway.telekom.at>,
>>> Leslie Danks <leslie...@aon.at> writes
>>>>Tim Frink wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> what is the correct form:
>>>>> "many thanks go to someone" or "many thanks goes to someone" ?
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm not sure if "thanks" can be considered singular or plural.
>>>>
>>>>For me, it's plural; but why not leave "go(es)" out all together:
>>>>
>>>>"Many thanks to someone"?
>>>>
>>> I would usually say plural. However, if it was a shortened version of
>>> something like "An expression of many thanks ...", it would be singular.
>>
>>Yes, because then "expression" is the relevant noun.
>
> Well, most of the time, but we haven't seen the whole sentence. If
> it's "An expression of many thanks was sent to the donor", absolutely
> right.
>
> If it is "An expression of many thanks, as were sent in several
> recordings spoken in several langauges, merci, todah, gracias" then
> Ian is wrong and "thanks" still takes the plural verb "were".
"Thanks" always takes the plural verb. As I intimated above, the verb
becomes singular in situations where the subject of the verb (expression,
in this case) is singular. Your "sentence", which is only part of a
sentence, makes me uneasy. Would you like to complete it?
--
Les (BrE)
Ian Jackson
goes to ...". You don't usually hear "A big thanks go to ...", because
"thanks" is short for the singular compound noun "thank you". Maybe it
should be spelt "thankyou" or "thank-you"?
--
Ian
Leslie Danks
[...]
> Mulling things over, I've realised that you sometimes hear "A big thanks
> goes to ...". You don't usually hear "A big thanks go to ...", because
> "thanks" is short for the singular compound noun "thank you". Maybe it
> should be spelt "thankyou" or "thank-you"?
I don't think I would say "a thanks", no matter how big it was. Do you think
I, personally, should take a plural verb?
--
Les (BrE)
Danks for the memory.
Pat Durkin
"Tim Frink" <plf...@yahoo.de> wrote in message
news:ho5035$5qe$1...@janice.cs.uni-dortmund.de...
Since "many thanks" and other related expressions are rather fixed
expressions, I don't think there is much to quibble about in US usage.
Except in rather formal writing, the singular will probably not be
questioned. Some listeners will relate "thanks" to "thanksgiving",
and not stop to remind themselves that the latter might refer to the
gratitude of many or many to whom gratitude is wished "Your
thanksgiving is most welcome."
In fact, I can't think of a single occasion in which the singular
_noun_ "thank" is used or appropriate. The expression is "a
thank(-)you", so one understands "many thanks" as an abbreviation of
"many thank (you)s".