Lily
What is the singular of "sweets"? Can I say "I gave the boy one sweet and the girl three sweets"? I'm mainly targeting UK speakers as I know that US speakers tend to use " candy/candies" instead of "sweets". Thank you!
May 15, 2018 12:48 PM
Answers · 15
3
Your sentence is fine, it is what someone from the UK would say. One sweet, two sweets, three sweets etc. 'Candy/candies' to us is an Americanism. Of course we understand it but you have it right, we say 'sweet(s).' Or little children might say 'sweetie(s).' 'Treat' sounds like something you give to a dog. Best avoided with human beings.
May 15, 2018
2
From a British perspective, your example sounds fine to me. One sweet Two sweets A packet of sweets
May 15, 2018
2
"Sweets" wouldn't be used in this context. In the case where you give somebody something, you would say "I gave the boy a cookie and the girl three cookies." But you might say I ate some sweets before dinner. It is a general term. Hope that helps.
May 15, 2018
2
I gave the boy one sweet and the girl three sweets is fine In the U.K I gave them her/him/a-the/boy/girl etc A sweet 3 sweets packet of sweets tin of sweets box of sweets
May 15, 2018
1
There is no difference between American use and British use regarding singular and plural you just swap words "candies, treats, cookies" for America and 'sweet, or cookie(biscuit)" for Britain​
May 15, 2018
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