This was the surprise. I waited for a teacher’s answer and I caught sight of YOU. So we agree in this fish(es) question. I remember that there is a test on the Forum where fish and fishes are included and I was very proud of myself that I learned how is the plural of the fish. I took it a tricky question, but seeing this, we can use fishes when we speak about the young of certain other fishes, as codfish.
What nouns have the same form for singular and plural? wiki.answers.com/Q/What_nouns_ha … and_plural
advice
aircraft
aluminum
archives
binoculars
bison
chalk
concrete
correspondence
counsel
deer
education
elk
eyeglasses fish
food
furniture
headquarters
information
knowledge
mankind
moose
news
offspring
oxygen
pyjamas
pants
pike
police
reindeer
salmon
scissors
series
sheep
shorts
species
steel
swine
tongs
trout
tweezers
wheat
wood
fishes from the same ancestors or the same species could be called fishes as well.
Fishes from different ancestors or different species could be called fishes.
But specifically one can call a collection of certain kinds of fishes for instance mudfishes as fishes as well. Besides a collection of tilapiafishes as fishes.
Therefore a collection of mudfish + tilapiafish are called fishes as well.
I understand only I don’t understand why these exception are not indicated when we learned about the plural of fish. Not here on ETN but anywhere. Why do they put in the same test fishes and fish together when they are curious of the plural of fish??? Accordingly there are two good answers in the test. (How I should have found which plural is good if I didn’t know what kinds of fish we are speaking about.)
I looked up a word : PARR
The word was in an article what my grand-daughter sent me: “The North Carolina High School Ethics Bowl is hosted annually by the Parr Center for Ethics and the Department of Philosophy at UNC-Chapel Hill.”
This article wasn’t about fish. But meaning of PARR is explained:
So I coudn’t think of fish-biology only I saw the word for the first time in my life in a real plural form. Okay, by now I understand the fish-biology but in this paragraph it didn’t seem to me evident to use this form.
Why did I look up another dictionary and not my favourite Oxford? Because in the Oxford the PARR word isn’t involved.
This PARR you are talking about could be an "abbreviation’ for something, that has accidentally met with the PARR you saw in the other dictionary. By the way I like your enthusiasm.
This was the surprise. I waited for a teacher’s answer and I caught sight of YOU. So we agree in this fish(es) question. I remember that there is a test on the Forum where fish and fishes are included and I was very proud of myself that I learned how is the plural of the fish. I took it a tricky question, but seeing this, we can use fishes when we speak about the young of certain other fishes, as codfish.
What nouns have the same form for singular and plural? wiki.answers.com/Q/What_nouns_ha … and_plural
advice
aircraft
aluminum
archives
binoculars
bison
chalk
concrete
correspondence
counsel
deer
education
elk
eyeglasses fish
food
furniture
headquarters
information
knowledge
mankind
moose
news
offspring
oxygen
pyjamas
pants
pike
police
reindeer
salmon
scissors
series
sheep
shorts
species
steel
swine
tongs
trout
tweezers
wheat
wood
Hi Kati you got to remember these nouns are UNCOUNTABLE so they are plural as well singular. Thanks
If you click on the link you can see that this title was given by the Google.If you don’t agree with this title PLEASE write to the GOOGLE. Everybody knows that pyjamas, shorts, tweezers,scissors can only plural form. You know why. Which ones are written in singular form consequently have only singular form.
At random I chose ‘offspring’ and I saw in Oxford dictionary:
-Female badgers may give birth to as many as five offspring.
Even one thing:
I didn’t ask this because 2 accurate answers can’t be in one single test. This is a golden rule!!!
I almost never or very rarely asked a question from you.Now as I am very sure that my question is of general interest. Unfortunately my question caused a debate. I tried to look for other sources but I would be very curious of your opinion. English Grammar-online
Is fishes a plural of fish? No. Fish can mean one or many. The plural of fish is fish. The example sentences below for both singular and plural use. Singular: “Mark has a one tank with one fish.” Plural: “Susan’s has three fish in one tank.” Fishes can be used in this context: More » wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_fishes_a_plural_of_fish
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Is fishes a plural of fish?-on-line
Answer: No. Fish can mean one or many. The plural of fish is fish. The example sentences below for both singular and plural use.
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Answer-on-line Singular: “Mark has a one tank with one fish.” Plural: “Susan’s has three fish in one tank.”
Fishes can be used in this context: Ocean Fishes.
A practical English Grammar/A.J.Thomson &A.V.Martinet-Grammar Book
“Names of certain creature do not change in the plural.
The word fish is normally unchanged. fishes exists but is uncommon.”
Will you please to tell the truth in this question.
Many thanks.
Kati Svaby
Many thanks Bez. Have you read the previous letters who superciliously argued against it.I accepted his biological argument about fishes but she/he didn’t believe me that in this case it is not important.
The letter what I answered you can’t see any more. While I was written my answer Ebenezer Adu deleted a sentence which concerned to the list (what he copied again) and told sth similar that this list contains plural nouns also.
He explained me when I have to use fish and fishes which concern fish biology. If I don’t know fish biology I won’t use it. This sentence is my conclusion.
Ebenezer Adu instructed me: This PARR you are talking about could be an "abbreviation’ for something…no, it is a name of a group because it isn’t written with capital letters.
“The North Carolina High School Ethics Bowl is hosted annually by the Parr Center for Ethics and the Department of Philosophy at UNC-Chapel Hill.”
Bez, I didn’t think for a moment that the grammar you quoted did argue against what you’ve indicated. You wrote what is the truth. If we consider these things ‘above’ we never dare to write ‘fish’ in plural.
There are lots of nouns which are normally only used in the singular, but can be used in the plural to show different species or types.
For instance:
A good baker bakes many different breads.
A good coffee shop has many sugars on offer.
Similar sentences can be made with milk, earth, water, food, love - and so on.
I hope this helps to explain.
Many thanks Trish.
I knew lot about the uncountable nouns but till now this rule wasn’t clear for me. Once I heard a similar sentence from a native English person : “In the shop there were teas and wines”. then I didn’t dare ask why she told in this way. I thought that this could mean several kinds of…but now I am sure.
Many thanks for your explanations , henceforth I will use it courageously.
Regards:
Kati
I thought of you because I’ve applied your letter. You can see it on these links - below. I was looking for you and I was surprised that for a long time you didn’t write.
Can I ask you how you are. I hope well only the Christmas preparation is too consumptive of time. How was your Christmas? Now the New Year comes I wish you a Very Happy New Year, good health and lot of strength.
