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Which is correct ?

Which is correct ?

Which is correct ?

(OP)
Which is correct ?

A. We suspect the top-open end shields is the root cause of vibration due to resonance.

B. We suspect the top-open end shields are the root cause of vibration due to resonance.

RE: Which is correct ?

i'd say either "the top-open end shield is"

or "the top-open end shields are".

btw, "the top-open end shield" is difficult to understand quickly (and withuot seeing what you're talking about).  maybe it's obvious (when you know more about the "shields"), maybe not !??

RE: Which is correct ?

(OP)
rb1957

There are two end shields (motor components) and both are giving a problem (vibration).

So, how do you say it A or B ?

RE: Which is correct ?

B is correct.

RE: Which is correct ?

The simple way to understand this is to take out the 'top-open end' phrase.

Would you say,

the shields is the root cause of vibration
or
the shields are the root cause of vibration

RE: Which is correct ?

Since their are two shields, shields is plural and therefore requires a plural verb.  B is correct.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

RE: Which is correct ?

B

Just a thought, could you have said instead

We suspect (that?) the top-open end shields are the root causes of vibration due to resonance.

RE: Which is correct ?

or "are causing the vibration ..."

or "are resonating, causing vibration."

or "are driving the vibration, due to resonance."

RE: Which is correct ?

To me B reads and sounds right. If you were speaking this loudly B flows naturally...I was told that speaking loudly (for people who are otherwise fluent, if not expert, in that language) is a good test of grammar.

RE: Which is correct ?

Plural subject, use "are".  Alternatively, re-cast the subject as singular:

The problem of (blah blah blah) IS the root cause.

RE: Which is correct ?

(OP)
Thanks guys for such a overwhelming response in a short time.

Actually, my doubt was over the adjective used. The end shields per se were not a problem but the fact they were open-top was.

Consider this

"Children are the cause of commotion". This is fine.

Now,

"Noisy children is / are the cause of commotion."

Here the adjective "noisy" plays a crucial role. Hence, my doubt.


RE: Which is correct ?

... the noisiness of children IS ...

RE: Which is correct ?

"Are" is correct. But is "due to"? I'm not sure whether vibration is due to resonance or resonance due to vibration. To avoid the whole mess, "... cause of resonant vibration."

RE: Which is correct ?

i'd never say "noisy children is ..."

"a noisy child is ..." is ok

or to turn somptingguy's post around "the children's niosiness is ..."

RE: Which is correct ?

Are they "open-top" end shields or "top-open" end shields, you switched them up on us.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

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RE: Which is correct ?

edison--you got it yourself.  "The fact that the end shields are open-top is the cause..."

Or possibly "the open top of the end shields is the cause..."

Hg

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RE: Which is correct ?

Equipments seems to be quite common nowadays.  No idea where it originated from but I'm seeing it more and more in MS documents.

RE: Which is correct ?

I doesn't matter, we engineers!

dazed

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."   
Albert Einstein
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RE: Which is correct ?

to xwb ... i guess writers of good english are quite rare these days ... next we'll see "sheeps"

RE: Which is correct ?

I would write

The open-top design of the end shields is the root cause...

The problem is the design.

RE: Which is correct ?

equipments, sheeps...

"Children" is an example of that.  The plural of "child", way back when, was "childer".  Then sometime after "-er" ceased to be a normal plural suffix but "-en" was still in vogue (as in "oxen"), people didn't realize any more that "childer" was already plular with an "-er" suffix, and so "childeren" came to be.  "Chilluns" is the next step.

Hg

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RE: Which is correct ?

What SomptingGuy was saying is correct.  ...the noisiness of children is...  In that statement "noisiness is the subject, and it is singular.  So "is" would be the correct verb regardless of the qualifying phrase (of children).

As in: The noisiness of children is what drives me to drink.

Dan

www.eltronresearch.com

RE: Which is correct ?

Scotty, I think there's intelligent life here.  I'm actually seeing some English rules of grammar applied correctly. Now, if only we could get the newspaper editors, manual writers, and other official document creators to pay attention, maybe we could understand each other.

I remember a recent issue of Design News where the cover proudly announced in 2 inch letters: "The High Tech Quandry".  There is no such word as "Quandry".  It's spelled "Quandary".  Makes American Engineers look like a bunch of grammar-challenged idiots to the rest of the world.  Aren't magazine editors supposed to check their spelling?  Especially on covers?

KWS

RE: Which is correct ?

Why can't idiot engineers "coin" new words the way they like? or is that the right of some exclusive individuals?

As long as the message is delivered nothing else matters. Language, words, spelling, etc. is nothing but a means of communication.

RE: Which is correct ?

Oh, since when newspapers and magazines are "official" documents? Official for what?

RE: Which is correct ?

Official in the sense that they are archived often cited for fist usage of a new word.

RE: Which is correct ?

rbulsara,

when you're communicating with words, both the writer and the reader need to agree on what the words mean, and what they mean when they're put together (since context often adjusts the meaning).  the basis of that understanding, like it or not, is grammar and spelling.

RE: Which is correct ?

rb:

I was partly being sarcastic, partly truthful. Languages, words and spellings do evolve overtime so no point in being worked up on a few misspells. If they get used often they will end up in dictionaries. They do.

But I do beleive that the engineers have as much right to invent new words as do anyone else. And newspaper, manual or magazine editors are not official writers. In fact newspapers are most notorious to flash words in twisted meanings in headlines.

RE: Which is correct ?

I tell you what, why don't we make a pact that as engineers we'll try to make new words on occasion, instead of our traditional new acronyms?

RE: Which is correct ?

we are not as bad as biologists...naming speices in obsscure extinct languauage..rather than modern english...or other live language..

Engineer's acronyms are realtively easy decoded..:)

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