"Assault or assaults" pronunciation - Is this sentence correct?

falkinThreads: 4 Posts: 20 Joined: Apr 10, 07 ♂	Aug 31, 10, 16:45 #1
Hello I learn English and have problem with this sentence: He and his family were subjected to a lot of verbal and physical assaults during the trial. It is pronounced by a native speaker as ASSAULT - no plural in pronunciation. Which is correct in this particular sentence when it comes to pronunciation? Assault or assaults? Thanks

TeffleThreads: 28 Posts: 2,105 Joined: Aug 26, 10 ♂	Aug 31, 10, 16:56 #2
It is assaults. It is plural because there are two types mentioned:verbal and physical. Like saying "Large and small dogs" (It's I am learning and have a problem by the way)

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Aug 31, 10, 17:01 #3

"He and his family were subjected to a lot of verbal and physical assaults during the trial."

It the word is assault it does need to be plural, singular doesn't make any sense. I bet the speaker may have been thinking of the word 'abuse' (which as a noun is non-count) and said 'assault' (which is count) by mistake.

Also, the sentence as reported is okay for spoken use, but in more formal written use, I go with:

"He and his family were subjected to a lot of verbal and physical abuse during the trial."

or

"He and his family were subjected to many verbal and physical assaults during the trial."

falkinThreads: 4 Posts: 20 Joined: Apr 10, 07 ♂	Edited by: falkin Aug 31, 10, 17:10 #4
Thanks for correction, also in my wrong written question:)

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,833 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Sep 6, 10, 00:37 #5
Can't abuses be plural? As in: Numerous financial abuses were revealed during the hearing.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Sep 6, 10, 00:41 #6
Abuses can be plural when used in that way, yes. Multiple abuses. Assault as sth they endured. Assaults as to the number. You could be pedantic and say, ideally, it should be 'a lot of assault' and 'lots of assaults' but language is flexible these days ;)

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Sep 6, 10, 22:54 #7

Teffle:

It is assaults.

It is plural because there are two types mentioned:verbal and physical.

this is correct

mafketis:

"He and his family were subjected to a lot of verbal and physical abuse during the trial."

abuse and assault aren't the same thing and abuse doesn't really fit with the word "trial" - as a law/legal event.

Polonius3:

Can't abuses be plural? As in: Numerous financial abuses were revealed during the hearing.

yes, you are correct on that

♂

Sep 7, 10, 15:20 #8

plk123:

abuse and assault aren't the same thing and abuse doesn't really fit with the word "trial" - as a law/legal event.

they're pretty close, a verbal assault is an instance of verbal abuse, and there's no indication that the assaults came from legal authorities

Polonius3:

Can't abuses be plural? As in: Numerous financial abuses were revealed during the hearing.

But you can't say "an abuse" and sound literate (unless it's part of a larger structure, 'an abuse case' which doesn' count).

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