[Grammar] These days, everyone looks up things on their smartphone"s"

[kadioguy]

These days, everyone looks up things on their smartphones. Smart speakers make looking up things even easier. You just talk to the speaker. You can ask it to find information or do other things. You can schedule things on your calendar or control your smart home. You can also check the weather, find the spelling of a word, shop online and much more. You can do all this with just your voice.

(Quoted from Let's Talk in English)
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"Everyone" is singular, so why not write "everyone looks up things on their smartphone" (singular smartphone)? Did the writer suggest that everyone can have more than one smartphone?

 

[Tarheel]

I think you can use either one. You certainly will see examples of botn.

 

[kadioguy]

I think you can use either one. You certainly will see examples of both.

a. everyone looks up things on their smartphones.
b. everyone looks up things on their smartphone.

Does (a) mean everyone has a smartphone individually or mean everyone has two or more smartphones individually?

 

[emsr2d2]

To me, "everyone looks things up on their smartphones" suggests that each of those people has more than one smartphone. Of course, that's true for some people but not for everyone. I'd use the singular. Also note that I chose the word order "looks things up" rather than your "looks up things".

 

[jutfrank]

I'd use the plural form, and I'd encourage my students to, too.

When selecting whether to use singular or plural forms in English, the way we conceive of what we're talking about very often trumps the grammar of the words we're using.

It doesn't matter that the word Everyone is grammatically singular—the concept is a multiplicity. In other words, the statement is really about all people, not just one individual person, and not the single idea of a person. This multiple concept is strengthened by the use of the plural form their.

Whether people have more than one smartphone is irrelevant to the idea that's being expressed here.

I'm not at all saying that the singular form is wrong, because it is common usage, and it sounds very natural, but just that I think the plural form expresses the true thought better.

 

[jutfrank]

a. everyone looks up things on their smartphones.
b. everyone looks up things on their smartphone.

Does (a) mean everyone has a smartphone individually or mean everyone has two or more smartphones individually?

I'm very slowly starting to get frustrated, kadioguy. You have to start thinking about what the speaker means, not what you think the words mean.

How could you possibly think that somebody could think that everybody has at least two smartphones? That's just silly.

 

[GoesStation]

a. everyone looks up things on their smartphones.
b. everyone looks up things on their smartphone.

Does (a) mean everyone has a smartphone individually or mean everyone has two or more smartphones individually?

You have to start thinking about what the speaker means, not what you think the words mean.

How could you possibly think that somebody could think that everybody has at least two smartphones? That's just silly.

Kadioguy, you can answer many of these questions if you change the wording a little. Ask yourself "Can (a) be understood to mean that everyone has two or more smartphones individually?" Think about that question, then back up one more step and ask "Would a reasonable speaker suggest that everyone has two or more smartphones individually?" The first answer is "Yes, if you want to stretch a point." But the second answer is "No". Understanding that will save you having to ask the forum.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

a. everyone looks up things on their smartphones.
b. everyone looks up things on their smartphone.

Does (a) mean everyone has a smartphone individually or mean everyone has two or more smartphones individually?

Personally, I'd pluralize smartphones to make clear that everyone isn't sharing one smartphone. But it's fine either way.

 

[kadioguy]

I'm very slowly starting to get frustrated, kadioguy. You have to start thinking about what the speaker means, not what you think the words mean.

How could you possibly think that somebody could think that everybody has at least two smartphones? That's just silly.

I am sorry to make you getting frustrated, jutfrank. Yes, I did think of that, and this was why I asked this question. Having received your feedback, I should have been more careful about the wording of my question. Please look at this modified one:

------------
a. everyone looks up things on their smartphones.
b. everyone looks up things on their smartphone.

I know the writer means to say everyone has a smartphone individually, but can (a) mean everyone has two or more smartphones individually? What do you think about this? Which one do you prefer to use, (a) or (b)?
---------------

Does this question sound better?

This multiple concept is strengthened by the use of the plural form their.

But to me, "their" here is used to refer to a single person whose sex is not known, rather than the possessive form of "they". This is another reason I have asked this question, because I thought "everyone (singular) looks up things on their (singular) smartphones (should be singular?)."

 

[jutfrank]

I know the writer means to say everyone has a smartphone individually, but can (a) mean everyone has two or more smartphones individually? What do you think about this?

Does this question sound better?

Slightly, but it's not good enough—the answer is still no.

Remember that our approach here is to look at language in use. We're thinking about utterances, not sentences. That means we have to take context heavily into account.

If you want a 'yes' answer, you should ask: Could there be a context where sentence (a) means that everyone has two or more smartphones?

Which one do you prefer to use, (a) or (b)?

I thought I answered that in post #5. I'd use the plural form.

But to me, "their" here is used to refer to a single person whose sex is not known, rather than the possessive form of "they". This is another reason I have asked this question, because I thought "everyone (singular) looks up things on their (singular) smartphones (should be singular?)."

So does the word Everyone also suggest to you a single person? It shouldn't.

 

[kadioguy]

Slightly, but it's not good enough—the answer is still no.

Remember that our approach here is to look at language in use. We're thinking about utterances, not sentences. That means we have to take context heavily into account.

If you want a 'yes' answer, you should ask: Could there be a context where sentence (a) means that everyone has two or more smartphones?

Thanks, jutfrank.

I thought I answered that in post #5. I'd use the plural form.

Could you please tell me why you said "I thought" rather "I think"? To me, the context is:

"Seeing this question, I think I answered that in post #5. I'd use the plural form."

So does the word Everyone also suggest to you a single person? It shouldn't.

I see your point.

 

[jutfrank]

Could you please tell me why you said "I thought" rather "I think"?

I thought I had answered, but since you didn't notice, I then realised I obviously hadn't. That is, my comment was unsuccessful as a resolution to what was concerning you. I'm using the word answered here to mean gotten my message across to you.


Also, by using I thought, I was being very slightly sarcastic and impatient in tone.

 

[kadioguy]

I thought I had answered, but since you didn't notice, I then realised I obviously hadn't. That is, my comment was unsuccessful as a resolution to what was concerning you. I'm using the word answered here to mean gotten my message across to you.

Hi, jutfrank, at that time I did receive your answer in post #5. Actually I meant to say:

========
Having received your feedback, I should have been more careful about the wording of my question. Please look at this modified one I should have said:
------------
a. everyone looks up things on their smartphones.
b. everyone looks up things on their smartphone.


I know the writer means to say everyone has a smartphone individually, but can (a) mean everyone has two or more smartphones individually? What do you think about this? Which one do you prefer to use, (a) or (b)?
=============

In other words, I wish I could go back to the beginning, when you all hadn't answered yet, to say the above.

 

[jutfrank]

I see. Okay.

Please take my advice on board and let it inform the way you ask questions in your future posts. Thank you.

 

[tedmc]

I am sorry to make (have made) you [STRIKE]getting [/STRIKE]frustrated, jutfrank.

This is for kadioguy's information.

 

[Tarheel]

Kadioguy, I hope you are taking his advice to heart, because jutfrank explains things very well. (He has more patience than I do.)

:roll:

 

[Tdol]

If everyone did have two or more smartphones, how many times would they look the same thing up? Wouldn't it be enough to look something up on one of their phones?

 

[kadioguy]

Personally, I'd pluralize smartphone[STRIKE]s[/STRIKE] to make clear that everyone isn't sharing one smartphone. But it's fine either way.

I think it should be Personally, I'd pluralize smartphone (without "s") ....

 

[Tarheel]

I never use the word personally.

 

[probus]

Good work banning Bringthemon Rover. What a nasty piece of work he was. I looked and found several more offensive posts, so I gave him the Spam-o-matic treatment.