# Why "form" is not pluralized in this sentence? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2012, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059 "2012-06-23T09:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/21 "2012-06-26T13:55:05Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > “Some” can have more than one meaning in this context. > > _with 29.2 per cent reporting **some form** of sleepwalking since childhood._ > > == with 29.2 percent reporting _at least one_ form of sleepwalking since childhood. OK, but “some” with a countable singular noun doesn’t normally mean “at least one”. It means exactly one unidentified instance. “Some guy called for you” can only mean one guy. I still don’t think we’ve really nailed why “form” is singular in this case. It seems that neither the singular or plural versions convey precisely the intended meaning. The singular version implies that each adult reported just one form, while the plural takes on another meaning of “some”, i.e. several identified instances. Maybe the usage is just convention, since neither form is entirely satisfactory. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/22 "2012-06-26T14:00:12Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > OK, but “some” with a countable singular noun doesn’t normally mean “at least one”. It means exactly one unidentified instance. “Some guy called for you” can only mean one guy. Right - because only one guy can be calling. > [@](#): > > I still don’t think we’ve really nailed why “form” is singular in this case. It seems that neither the singular or plural versions convey precisely the intended meaning. The singular version implies that each adult reported just one form, while the plural takes on another meaning of “some”, i.e. several identified instances. No, it’s the same reason as above. A person is likely to have only one form of sleepwalking. However… > [@](#): > > Maybe the usage is just convention, since neither form is entirely satisfactory. I think you’ve found the answer - the problem is not the word form, but the word “some.” It can mean “a group of things” but it can also, as in this case, modify a word to mean a single choice among a group of things. For instance: You can have some candy. You can have some kind of candy. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/23 "2012-06-26T14:06:42Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Right - because only one guy can be calling. Surely several guys could possibly call? As for the OP’s sentence, I am taking it to include the possibility that some people reported more than one form of sleepwalking. If you’re excluding that possibility, we may be arguing slightly different points. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/24 "2012-06-26T14:08:20Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It’s singular because they’re exhibiting one (or at least one) form of sleepwalking. This is the answer to **Reza** ’s question. They could’ve used plural, but most people just have one problem, apparently–_and they want to emphasize that_. However, as for this: > [@Reza](#): > > I think you’re going too far. Every grammar question has a clear answer which is to be substantiated grammatically. I’m not sure exactly what you mean by this, but not every grammatical pattern has a “logical justification.” Grammar is really just a system of conventions, and sometimes the conventions would seem contradictory. To say that all grammar has a grammatical explanation is kind of a tautology. And not all grammar is representational, either. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/25 "2012-06-26T14:39:55Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > Surely several guys could possibly call? Not in that sentence. “Some guy called” means exactly one guy called. Otherwise it would say “some guys called.” The word “some” doesn’t change that. > [@](#): > > As for the OP’s sentence, I am taking it to include the possibility that some people reported more than one form of sleepwalking. If you’re excluding that possibility, we may be arguing slightly different points. Right, it’s possible to have multiple forms, but that’s unlikely, and still implied. If you want to get technical, it should say “some form, or more than one form…” But who wants to read that? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/26 "2012-06-26T15:21:00Z")
Is this some kind of bust? ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/27 "2012-06-26T15:40:20Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Is this some kind of bust? It’s spectacular! ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059/28 "2012-06-29T14:33:56Z")
Oh, and I just thought of a word to blow everyone’s mind on this thread: “someone” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-form-is-not-pluralized-in-this-sentence/626059.md?page=1)