Saturday, March 9, 2019

word usage - Should "thirst" be pluralized in the phrase "quench their thirst(s)"?



I am unsure of whether or not I should be using "thirst" or "thirsts" in this sentence:





When Moses led the people out of Egypt and into the desert, didn’t the Lord command Moses to strike a rock so that water would flow and quench their thirst?




Do I pluralize thirst because it is had by multiple people, or do I keep it singular because they only thirst for a single thing (water)?


Answer



No. It is not pluralised. Thirst is an abstract quality and does not change. The people were having thirst, but the thirst was not multiple. They were not having thirst A, or thirst B, or thirst C et cetera.



As in-





I, my mother, my father, and my children are having good health.




Here, each person is not having a separate health- health A, health B, health C.... Because health is an abstract noun, and it is not pluralised.


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