People have computers vs people have a computer











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I am curious about plural and singular noun usage.
Let's assume there were no one who had two computers. (i.e. one computer each.)
Which one is more natural: "people have computers," or "people have a computer?"






nouns







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HASAJON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • 1




    The first and last lines are not necessary in this forum.
    – RedSonja
    Dec 7 at 9:36






  • 1




    Possible duplicate of "They're using a cell phone" vs. "They're using cell phones"
    – Jason Bassford
    Dec 7 at 15:16






  • 2




    Everybody's got a computer.
    – Jim
    2 days ago















up vote
0
down vote

favorite
1












I am curious about plural and singular noun usage.
Let's assume there were no one who had two computers. (i.e. one computer each.)
Which one is more natural: "people have computers," or "people have a computer?"






nouns







share|improve this question









New contributor




HASAJON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 1




    The first and last lines are not necessary in this forum.
    – RedSonja
    Dec 7 at 9:36






  • 1




    Possible duplicate of "They're using a cell phone" vs. "They're using cell phones"
    – Jason Bassford
    Dec 7 at 15:16






  • 2




    Everybody's got a computer.
    – Jim
    2 days ago













up vote
0
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
0
down vote

favorite
1






1





I am curious about plural and singular noun usage.
Let's assume there were no one who had two computers. (i.e. one computer each.)
Which one is more natural: "people have computers," or "people have a computer?"






nouns







share|improve this question









New contributor




HASAJON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I am curious about plural and singular noun usage.
Let's assume there were no one who had two computers. (i.e. one computer each.)
Which one is more natural: "people have computers," or "people have a computer?"






nouns




nouns






share|improve this question









New contributor




HASAJON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




HASAJON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Dec 7 at 20:09









Mark Beadles

20.1k35689




20.1k35689






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asked Dec 7 at 6:25









HASAJON

1




1




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HASAJON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






HASAJON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 1




    The first and last lines are not necessary in this forum.
    – RedSonja
    Dec 7 at 9:36






  • 1




    Possible duplicate of "They're using a cell phone" vs. "They're using cell phones"
    – Jason Bassford
    Dec 7 at 15:16






  • 2




    Everybody's got a computer.
    – Jim
    2 days ago














  • 1




    The first and last lines are not necessary in this forum.
    – RedSonja
    Dec 7 at 9:36






  • 1




    Possible duplicate of "They're using a cell phone" vs. "They're using cell phones"
    – Jason Bassford
    Dec 7 at 15:16






  • 2




    Everybody's got a computer.
    – Jim
    2 days ago








1




1




The first and last lines are not necessary in this forum.
– RedSonja
Dec 7 at 9:36




The first and last lines are not necessary in this forum.
– RedSonja
Dec 7 at 9:36




1




1




Possible duplicate of "They're using a cell phone" vs. "They're using cell phones"
– Jason Bassford
Dec 7 at 15:16




Possible duplicate of "They're using a cell phone" vs. "They're using cell phones"
– Jason Bassford
Dec 7 at 15:16




2




2




Everybody's got a computer.
– Jim
2 days ago




Everybody's got a computer.
– Jim
2 days ago










1 Answer
1






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up vote
1
down vote













It depends on the context or the rest of the sentence.



If the sentence is only "People have computers" then that is the most natural way to say it.



If the sentence is "The people have computers" that means the people have many computers. If the sentence is "The people have a computer" that means the people as a group have only one computer for all of them.



If the sentence is something like "Most people have computers" or "Most people will have a computer", then both are equally natural.



Technically, you should strive to make the plural and singular forms of the subject and object match.



Plural: "The people have computers."



Singular: "Everyone has a computer."






share|improve this answer








New contributor




TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • Thank you very much for your help! It is very useful!
    –  HASAJON
    21 hours ago










  • Thanks Hasajon, I hope everything goes well!
    – TheLeopard
    11 hours ago











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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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active

oldest

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active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes








up vote
1
down vote













It depends on the context or the rest of the sentence.



If the sentence is only "People have computers" then that is the most natural way to say it.



If the sentence is "The people have computers" that means the people have many computers. If the sentence is "The people have a computer" that means the people as a group have only one computer for all of them.



If the sentence is something like "Most people have computers" or "Most people will have a computer", then both are equally natural.



Technically, you should strive to make the plural and singular forms of the subject and object match.



Plural: "The people have computers."



Singular: "Everyone has a computer."






share|improve this answer








New contributor




TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.


















  • Thank you very much for your help! It is very useful!
    –  HASAJON
    21 hours ago










  • Thanks Hasajon, I hope everything goes well!
    – TheLeopard
    11 hours ago















up vote
1
down vote













It depends on the context or the rest of the sentence.



If the sentence is only "People have computers" then that is the most natural way to say it.



If the sentence is "The people have computers" that means the people have many computers. If the sentence is "The people have a computer" that means the people as a group have only one computer for all of them.



If the sentence is something like "Most people have computers" or "Most people will have a computer", then both are equally natural.



Technically, you should strive to make the plural and singular forms of the subject and object match.



Plural: "The people have computers."



Singular: "Everyone has a computer."






share|improve this answer








New contributor




TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.


















  • Thank you very much for your help! It is very useful!
    –  HASAJON
    21 hours ago










  • Thanks Hasajon, I hope everything goes well!
    – TheLeopard
    11 hours ago













up vote
1
down vote










up vote
1
down vote









It depends on the context or the rest of the sentence.



If the sentence is only "People have computers" then that is the most natural way to say it.



If the sentence is "The people have computers" that means the people have many computers. If the sentence is "The people have a computer" that means the people as a group have only one computer for all of them.



If the sentence is something like "Most people have computers" or "Most people will have a computer", then both are equally natural.



Technically, you should strive to make the plural and singular forms of the subject and object match.



Plural: "The people have computers."



Singular: "Everyone has a computer."






share|improve this answer








New contributor




TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









It depends on the context or the rest of the sentence.



If the sentence is only "People have computers" then that is the most natural way to say it.



If the sentence is "The people have computers" that means the people have many computers. If the sentence is "The people have a computer" that means the people as a group have only one computer for all of them.



If the sentence is something like "Most people have computers" or "Most people will have a computer", then both are equally natural.



Technically, you should strive to make the plural and singular forms of the subject and object match.



Plural: "The people have computers."



Singular: "Everyone has a computer."







share|improve this answer








New contributor




TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer






New contributor




TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 2 days ago









TheLeopard

1192




1192




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TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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TheLeopard is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • Thank you very much for your help! It is very useful!
    –  HASAJON
    21 hours ago










  • Thanks Hasajon, I hope everything goes well!
    – TheLeopard
    11 hours ago


















  • Thank you very much for your help! It is very useful!
    –  HASAJON
    21 hours ago










  • Thanks Hasajon, I hope everything goes well!
    – TheLeopard
    11 hours ago
















Thank you very much for your help! It is very useful!
–  HASAJON
21 hours ago




Thank you very much for your help! It is very useful!
–  HASAJON
21 hours ago












Thanks Hasajon, I hope everything goes well!
– TheLeopard
11 hours ago




Thanks Hasajon, I hope everything goes well!
– TheLeopard
11 hours ago










HASAJON is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










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