Plural questions

[Rusty]

No. You must use the plural 'robes' when no article is used.

Apparitions of a woman in a white robe have been reported.
Apparitions of a woman in the white robe have been reported.
Apparitions of a woman in white robes have been reported.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

This sounds strange to me. "...in white robes" make me think that she has changed her robe for each apparition. :D

[Xinfu]

Thank you, Rusty. Do you agree with my explanations?:

-Peter and John use different pronunciation. (=different systems in pronouncing)
-Peter and John use different pronunciations. (=words have their pronunciations; 'words' being plural, so PRONUNCIATION plural )

No difference in meaning.

[poli]

There is a slight difference in meaning. If you say Peter and John use different pronunciations, it may refer to pronunciation of particular words.

If Peter is from Chicago and John is from London, they use different pronunciation.

They use different pronunciations of the word cat and hat.

[Xinfu]

Thank you; do you agree with me?

Almost no difference, both correct:

-Either listen or play with your mobile phone, don't write down anything.(each person with one phone, so singular)
-Either listen or play with your mobile phones, don't write down anything.(though each person one phone; more than one person, so together more than one phone; so plural)

[Xinfu]

Here I would say 'name' instead of the plural form.

"Whose name do I not know?" is a perfectly good question that you can ask to a group of people.
Earlier, I said that there are those who think that if the antecedent is plural that they should choose a plural in the other clause. I am not of that opinion in this case, or in the other case you cited earlier.
In your sentence, the subject in the main clause is plural. Since many people would choose to use a plural in the other clause because the antecedent is plural, it's OK.

Based on your answer, are they both correct?

-They asked many questions to me. (=They put the questions to me)
-They asked many questions of me. (=They put the questions to me)

[Rusty]

They asked me many questions.
-or-
They asked many questions of me.

-but not-
They asked many questions to me. :bad:

The verb 'ask' doesn't allow a prepositional phrase starting with 'to' in the indirect object.
If the indirect object is a personal pronoun, it is said immediately after the verb.
If the direct object immediately follows the verb, the indirect object may be given in a prepositional phrase that starts with the preposition 'of'.

Ask me any question. (Verb, IOP, DO)
Ask any question of me. (Verb, DO, PP)
Ask any question to me. :bad:


The quotation you highlighted in red may certainly be said without the preposition 'to', since the indirect object immediately follows the verb 'ask'.
My use of the preposition 'to' can be chalked up to a mistake, I guess, but I dare say I'm not the only one who makes that mistake.
No matter how I reason the sentence out, it sounds fine either way (with the preposition 'to' or without it).
Perhaps another native speaker can explain what I'm missing (or can make me feel all alone in the world :rolleyes: ).

[Xinfu]

Thank you.