Is this contradictory? "The main issue is that there will obviously be more people of retirement age who will be eligible to receive a pension." Are 'more people'(plural form) and 'a pension'(singula

Zewei

Is this contradictory? "The main issue is that there will obviously be more people of retirement age who will be eligible to receive a pension." Are 'more people'(plural form) and 'a pension'(singular form) contradictory with each other?

Nov 2, 2017 11:09 AM

Answers · 3

Hello, This is one of those grey areas of English where the intention of the speaker plays as much a part as grammar rules! It is possible to say that these people collectively are entitled to receive pensions OR these people individually are entitled to receive a pension. This is similar to the idea that a team may be seen as a single entity or a group of individuals. Hope this helps Bob

November 2, 2017

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