Confused about using the plural

[Cartoonacy]

@aNewLeaf

We need a second-person plural. Y’all (or youse guys) just doesn’t do the job.

There was a time when *thou *was used for the singular and *you *or *ye *for the plural.

[eschereal]

I have more of a problem with the first person plural. Does “we” include or exclude “you”? Most of the time one can infer from context, but sometimes it can be troublingly ambiguous.

[bob_2]

@Mangetout

Brain and brain. What is brain?

(Sorry, but someone had to.)

This is a really tricky one, because ‘brain’ and ‘brains’ can be used in the context of a single individual - (I guess a bit like ‘guts’)

But even in the case of something more discrete, like legs, neither seems wrong:

“All of you - please raise your left leg”
“All of you - please raise your left legs”

I don’t think either of those is actually wrong.

The second is wrong because we all have only one left leg.

@davidmich

Thanks everyone. Yes I did mean to distinguish between “our brain” and “our brains”.

It is necessary to pluralize the word here:
“Let’s put our heads together”

but:
“Our bodies are not designed to sit in front of computers all day”
“Our body is not designed to sit in front of the computer all day”

Are both sentences acceptable?

davidmich

The second is clumsy and incorrect. Better to say - Ones body~

[pulykamell]

@bob_2

The second is wrong because we all have only one left leg.

The second is clumsy and incorrect. Better to say - Ones body~

Or even “your body.” It depends on the tone you’re going for. “One” is a bit impersonal and, IMHO, a little stiff-sounding. “You/your” is a bit more personal/relaxed.

[CookingWithGas]

@davidmich

but:
“Our bodies are not designed to sit in front of computers all day”
“Our body is not designed to sit in front of the computer all day”

Are both sentences acceptable?

Depends on who you are asking. Some folks would say the correct version is:

Our bodies are not evolved to sit in front of computers all day.