TransWikia.com

Plural subject but singular object

English Language & Usage Asked on November 30, 2020

I’ve seen a few helpful posts on this, and understand that there is no rule necessarily, but I’m trying to wrap my head around something like the following example:

"For the purposes of Chapter 3, the following terms, phrases, words, and their derivatives shall have the meaning stated below."

From what I’ve read, the singular of "meaning" would be appropriate if all the terms, words, phrases, etc., shared the same meaning. But what follows is a list of definitions of many terms. I can’t quite put my finger on why "meaning" sounds OK, but would "meanings" be preferable? Or is "meaning" collectively OK because they’re all defined below in a collective list of definitions?

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP