I'm trying to work out any possible pluralization strings for an application that handles dynamic values, and I'm a little stuck on the English here.. What I think sounds right doesn't feel right.
Pluralization options:
- Selected 1 entry (correct)
- Selected 2+ entries (correct)
But if I want to include the total as well:
- Selected 1 of 1 entries (is this correct? it sounds correct to me)
- Selected 0 of 1 entries (is this correct?)
- Selected 1 of 2 entries (correct)
I know it's trivial, but these little details matter to me..
EDIT: If the count is the max, another option is to express this as:
- Selected all 2 entries (correct)
- Selected all 1 entry (this doesn't sound correct? is it?)
Answer
Using entries for a single entry is not correct, which can be demonstrated by describing them/it. Adding an adjective to break up a standard expression helps analysis because it’s no longer the customary expression which “just is”:
There is 1 available entry (Indisputably correct)
Selected 1 of 1 available entry (Follows by analogy)
There are 2 available entries (Indisputably correct)
Selected 1 of 2 available entries (Follows by analogy)
There are 1 available entries (Indisputably wrong)
There is 1 available entries (Indisputably wrong)
Selected 1 of 1 available entries (Wrong by analogy)
Using “1 of 1 entries” probably sounds right because
- it’s very common
- the “1 of” implies that there is more than one available, and therefore entries might be expected to follow it.
but just because “everyone does it” doesn’t make it correct.
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