Question posted by one of my favourite podcasters – The History of the Crusades podcast. I think I know the answer…what do you think?
Okay – I need some help on the heading for the next episode. In the episode, three separate characters undergo three separate changes of fortune. So, should the heading be:
(a) reversals of fortune
(b) reversal of fortunes
(c) reversals of fortunes or
(d) none of the above
Any ideas? Someone well versed in the intricacies of the English language needs to save me from making a grammatical face plant…help!
It’s reversals of fortune. But I can’t explain why.
FWIIW – none of the above – I suggest ‘changing fortunes’
Reversal to me seems like it is a one shot change of fortune. I think changing suggests that it happens more than once, & fortunes (plural) suggests that it happens to more than one person.
(Here speaketh the unemployed former Power station operator – WTF do I know? )
(a). Why? Because it’s right and the others are wrong.
Because ‘of fortune’ explains what kind of reversal.
(a)
Think cups of tea. Not cups of teas is it?
If they were cocktails of Earl Grey and Darjeeling, you might say “cups of teas”.
Arf.
I would go with (c), because it’s so clearly the output of someone thinking too much about a grammatical quandary, and it would make me laugh every time I saw it.
The question ain’t great, to be honest. I think he means three characters each undergo a change of fortune. Unless there are nine changes, and 12 states of fortune.
Wouldn’t change the answer though.
They should definitely call it “None of the above.” It would lend the whole thing a slightly surreal air and keep away the plastic Crusade lovers.
*sniff*
I’ve been into it since the first crusade. None of this Indiana Jones bollocks.
1. 1st
2. 8th
3.3rd
4.5th
5. 9th
The third crusade? Really?
I dunno man, I liked it well enough, but that whole “siege of Acre” subplot just seemed to go on forever, and the denouement was really unsatisfying.
Ah, come on – when Frederick I dies before reaching the Holy Land… I was in bits.
Oh sorry – SPOILERS
All a loads of bollock if you ask me.
The answer is in the question – ‘three separate changes of fortune’ – hence Reversals of Fortune.
It is reversals of fortune.
There are three reversals, so that is clearly plural. The meaning of fortune in this context is luck rather than amount of money. Under those circumstances, the word fortune is broader than just singular. Just like the word luck, it can apply to more than one person, effectively being both plural and singular at the same time. It wouldn’t be ‘reversals of lucks’, would it?
Basically right and for the right reason. B and C refer to money (fortunes) whereas A (fortune) is the uncountable, or mass, noun Twang wants to use as a reference to fate. Uncountables in fact have no plural. So the use of a plural here is forcing us to hear the other meaning.
No such limitation on reversal/s obviously.
I think it’s reversals of fortune on the basis that it sounds right.
Fortunes reversed.
Seems like altogether the wrong phrase for anything more complicated than a straightforward turnaround involving two parties so (d) and back to the drawing board.
reversals of fortune
reversals plural applied to a singular
2 X 1 = 2
not sure applying maths to grammar is legit but that’s the reasoning
Surely reversal’s of fortune’s….
Surely no apostrophes Neil
Hmm think I missed the joke
The answer is Jeremy Irons because Jeremy’s iron is on the cotton setting while Jeremy irons and as a consequence burns a hole in his lucky silk cravat thus causing numerous reversals of fortune.
I think the correct answer may depend on whether or not you believe in manifest destiny.
Shouldn’t that be manifest destinies, Bingle?
Hmmmm…. or is it “manifests destinies”?
Shit, we may need to go to the polls on this.
Well, they do speak better English than most of us
Better than wot most of us does Shirley?
A bloke wants to order some pets
Writes please send me 2 mongooses
Crosses it out ,send me 2 mongeese
Crosses it out – mongo
Starts again
Please send me a mongoose
P.s. Send another one as well.