One out of the two of us is upset.

(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:22, 1 reply, 12 years ago)

The irony here is that you've got that grammatically correct
whilst you think you're taking the piss.
( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:23, Reply)

No I didn't.
www.b3ta.com/questions/offtopic/post1937458
In this situation the Two represents two so the one is singular.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:26, Reply)

'One' is without exception and in every conceivable context singular.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:27, Reply)

One is very happy to have this clarified.

( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:28, Reply)

you should post a large picture to win this particular argument, online

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:29, Reply)

A huge flashing number 1, perhaps.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:31, Reply)

Make it so number one

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:32, Reply)

thats a star wars reference btw

( Light In Chains maker of the ikea sofa, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:32, Reply)

I KNEW that!! GOD!!!!!!

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:35, Reply)

One percent?

(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:33, Reply)

A percent. So singular.
Who knew having one of something could be so complicated?
( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:34, Reply)

It's all about context, apparently.
Renowned genius Lokesy said so.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:37, Reply)

Still singular.

( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:34, Reply)

The top one percent of people is richer than the the bottom 40% combined.

(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:37, Reply)

By jove, you appear to be getting it at last.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:38, Reply)

No, he thinks he's taking the piss and being clever again.

( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:39, Reply)

Hard to combine appearing clever with being repeatedly demonstrably wrong,
especially when combined with an existing, long-documented struggle with spelling and grammar.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:45, Reply)

He's getting being actually right
and thinking he's right because he thinks it makes more sense confused, I think.
( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:47, Reply)

Could be either, depends on the context

(localboy purveyor of pisspoor puns, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:35, Reply)

Even if that one per cent represents 55 million, then it is still singular.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:36, Reply)

Depends if you're talking about the percentage per se or the things defined by it.
We could all be right and arguing to no great purpose on the internet.
Still, it makes the morning go quicker.
(localboy purveyor of pisspoor puns, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:42, Reply)

No, it doesn't.
The subject of your statement, when talking about one percent of something, is always the one percent. Which is singular.
( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:44, Reply)

In the original story the subject was fat kids, not statistics
Thing is, either of these reads fine to me;

One in four kids is fat

One in four kids are fat.
(localboy purveyor of pisspoor puns, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:49, Reply)

You see, in that sentence, you're singling out the fat kid, right?
That's the "one in" part of the sentence, you're focusing on that child, which makes it the subject. Therefore because it's "one kid", it's singular. Same for "one percent", they're both still one of something.

If it were "four out of ten kids", it would be a plural.

The mistake occurs because people see the "out of four" bit and think they're talking about a group, when they're not.
( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:54, Reply)

"you're singling out the fat kid"
you're not, you're describing a proportion of kids as fat.

"The mistake occurs because people see the "out of four" bit and think they're talking about a group, when they're not."
They are.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:57, Reply)

And this, Chompy, is why you're looking like a fool.

( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:58, Reply)

One of those statements is grammatically correct,
....and one are not.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:55, Reply)

click!

(localboy purveyor of pisspoor puns, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 11:00, Reply)

OK, I shall explain my joke.
You see, you got that right. You knew you got that right, I knew you got that right. In the last thread, the argument involved because of a grammatical misunderstanding in which you were widely lambasted.

The joke I'm making lies in the fact that I'm suggesting that you're being sarcastic and accidentally getting it right. That would normally be a dig, but because everybody including you knows you're right, it's just a gag. The butt isn't actually you, but grammar-nazis.
( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:29, Reply)

The more you explain it, the funnier it gets!!!!

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:31, Reply)

I know :(
But he didn't get it. I didn't want to look like the stupid one.
( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:32, Reply)

Dodged a bullet there, eh?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:35, Reply)

That was close!

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:36, Reply)

I make this mistake a lot.

( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:38, Reply)

We know.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:40, Reply)

I always seem to do it in public, which is embarrassing.

( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:40, Reply)

widely lambasted?
I think you're getting your plurals wrong.
(PsychoChomp, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:35, Reply)

OK, Chompy, you carry on believing that you use different, yet still correct, grammar

( Kroney, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:37, Reply)

On his computer, his language setting is to 'MK English'

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:41, Reply)

and we're loving it

(Bonzodog29 is an unemployed sponge of the worst kind, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 11:50, Reply)

OH JESUS IT'S STILL GOING AHHHH WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON ITS STILL BEING DISCUSSED I MIGHT TOP MESELF OH GOD OH GOD THERE'S BLOOD COMING OUT OF EVERYWHERE OH GOD

( Theoban What of it, Thu 18 Apr 2013, 10:35, Reply)