A question for AnneGuedes the translator

[debunker]

But not Polices.  Unless used with an apostrophe.  But that would not be very good grammar.

Correct. The argument was only about evidences which definitely exists (although people do seem keen here to ignore cites and keep their own errors alive.)

Where have you seen "evidences" in police statements* in English?

* Sorry, I should have added: or in legal summaries of this nature.

See my cites above

Any one in particular that is relevant to a police/legal context?

Many of them.

The argument was purely- "Is "evidences" a word in English. The answer is YES." End of matter.

But in a police/legal context?

That was not the original question. The original question has been settled.

The argument was purely- "Is "evidences" a plural noun in English. The answer is YES." End of matter.

Is it correct to speak of a "plural noun" to mean the plural form of a noun ?

Can you go and split someoneelse's hairs please

http://answers.ask.com/Reference/Dictionaries/what_is_a_plural_noun

Rigour, rigour, Nurse Debunker ! Isn't it your motto ?
I was right : A handful of nouns appear to be plural in form but take a singular verb:

Thus demonstrating my point. US and UK usage differ. Someone outside the anglosphere would not know that.

Example

US English: The Government was working
UK English The Government were working

I was merely pointing out that the concept 'plural noun' was attested.


Rather hoist by your own petard there, eh?

[amaraltheofficeboy]

tedious

[debunker]

tedious

Agreed, but the original question has been settled now- 'evidences' is a word. Everything else people are doing is trying to pretend that it was a different question being debated.

[Carana]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_noun

[amaraltheofficeboy]

why do people insist on keeping this going?

Excuse me but I started the thread - move on for God's sake.

[Carana]

why do people insist on keeping this going?

Excuse me but I started the thread - move on for God's sake.

Agreed.

Doing naughty things to flies doesn't really move the Schmilblick any further forward.

[debunker]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_noun

A Collective Noun and a Plural Noun are different animals.

[Chinagirl]

Quote:
Chinagirl made the incorrect statement:


"The words "police" and "evidence" are always used in the singular - never "polices" or "evidences""

It has taken three pages of discussion before she accepted that was incorrect regarding "evidences".
Unquote

I did no such thing.  Don't tell lies to suit your ego, Debunker.

[ferryman]

In context, it is abundantly clear that CG's comments were confined to the police file of Madeleine's disappearance, not intend to be understood more widely.

I have done an analysis of both versions - Astro's with your suggested alternatives, compared to the one I copied from Mr Justice Tudgendhat's judgment.  If you'd like to see this let me know and I'll send it to you by PM, rather than clog up this thread with rather boring commentary.  However, there are just three things in your version posted in reply no.59 on p.4 of this thread which immediately indicate to any good native English speaker that that translation has not been undertaken by a professional, viz:

The words "police" and "evidence" are always used in the singular - never "polices" or "evidences"

Debunker insisted on making the generalised point that evidences is recognised more widely.

It is, but that had nothing to do with CG's original point.

Debunker was not wrong, just indulging a strawman argument.

[Chinagirl]

Thank you, Ferryman.  Actually, I think I raised a far more interesting point in my original post - about the use of "namely" or "mainly."  I had hoped that AnneGuedes would have acknowleged this ....

[debunker]

Quote:
Chinagirl made the incorrect statement:


"The words "police" and "evidence" are always used in the singular - never "polices" or "evidences""

It has taken three pages of discussion before she accepted that was incorrect regarding "evidences".
Unquote

I did no such thing.  Don't tell lies to suit your ego, Debunker.

You mean that despite all the links, cites and references, you still cannot accept that evidence has a plural form?

There a r e none so blind as those who will not see!

[AnneGuedes]

In context, it is abundantly clear that CG's comments were confined to the police file of Madeleine's disappearance, not intend to be understood more widely.

I have done an analysis of both versions - Astro's with your suggested alternatives, compared to the one I copied from Mr Justice Tudgendhat's judgment.  If you'd like to see this let me know and I'll send it to you by PM, rather than clog up this thread with rather boring commentary.  However, there are just three things in your version posted in reply no.59 on p.4 of this thread which immediately indicate to any good native English speaker that that translation has not been undertaken by a professional, viz:

The words "police" and "evidence" are always used in the singular - never "polices" or "evidences"

Debunker insisted on making the generalised point that evidences is recognised more widely.

It is, but that had nothing to do with CG's original point.

Debunker was not wrong, just indulging a strawman argument.

Why not pm me ?
The policeS could be a typo.
What is the third point ?
Though not "professional", Astro's translation is better, I've bet my head and I stick to it.
The nurse doesn't care... an oxymoron for me.

[gilet]

Not interested in Google.  I tend to rely on the OED, Fowler's MOdern English Usage, Howard's Good English Guide.

evidences  3rd person singular present, plural of ev·i·dence
Noun
The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
Verb
Be or show evidence of.
More info - Merriam-Webster - The Free Dictionary

What we have here is a moot point. It seems that the tendency in American English is to see Evidence as an countable noun, but in Modern English usage it is gnerally seen as uncountable, although historic usage in England shows that it was previously a countable noun.

Given that the internet is busy conflating English and American usage, we are in a transition phase. Most of my reading is of standard American usage in journals and I tend to write standard American spelling and usage for that very reason (and the fact that I was educated there!)

Strictly speaking 'evidences' may exist as a word in US English but it is almost extinct and has never been common.

Evidences



Evidence



And in current British English usage it is in my experience entirely absent.

There is no doubt in my mind that 'evidence' is almost always treated as uncountable.

http://corpus.byu.edu/coha/

Please scroll to the right to see full data.

[AnneGuedes]

Quote:
Chinagirl made the incorrect statement:


"The words "police" and "evidence" are always used in the singular - never "polices" or "evidences""

It has taken three pages of discussion before she accepted that was incorrect regarding "evidences".
Unquote

I did no such thing.  Don't tell lies to suit your ego, Debunker.

You mean that despite all the links, cites and references, you still cannot accept that evidence has a plural form?

There a r e none so blind as those who will not see!

There are none so deaf as those who will not listen !
I adore observing you speak correctly now, nurse Debunker ! The plural form !

[debunker]

Not interested in Google.  I tend to rely on the OED, Fowler's MOdern English Usage, Howard's Good English Guide.

evidences  3rd person singular present, plural of ev·i·dence
Noun
The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
Verb
Be or show evidence of.
More info - Merriam-Webster - The Free Dictionary

What we have here is a moot point. It seems that the tendency in American English is to see Evidence as an countable noun, but in Modern English usage it is gnerally seen as uncountable, although historic usage in England shows that it was previously a countable noun.

Given that the internet is busy conflating English and American usage, we are in a transition phase. Most of my reading is of standard American usage in journals and I tend to write standard American spelling and usage for that very reason (and the fact that I was educated there!)

Strictly speaking 'evidences' may exist as a word in US English but it is almost extinct and has never been common.

Evidences



Evidence



And in current British English usage it is in my experience entirely absent.

There is no doubt in my mind that 'evidence' is almost always treated as uncountable.

http://corpus.byu.edu/coha/

Please scroll to the right to see full data.

Which confirms what I said. I never said it was common. Chinagirl said that it did not exist. It does. End of story.