pedantic grammar question alert

[chippy17]

which is correct:

'the fillings in this product have been tested and comply with 1988 Fire Safety Regualtions'

'the filling in this product has been tested and complies with 1988 Fire Safety Regulations'

?

thanks, the product is a pillow

[FredClogs]

Depends how many filing there are.

[456GT]

Number two. 'Filling' is singular, I'd say.

ETA: Or you could say "All parts of this product have been tested and comply with..."

[chippy17]

technically there can be two (feather and down) but would the word 'filling' mean both even if singular, ie all the filling in this pillow complies?

thanks

[chippy17]

456GT said:

Number two. 'Filling' is singular, I'd say.

ETA: Or you could say "All parts of this pillow have been tested and comply with..."

ooh cat amongst, good point thanks

god I am sad!

[h0b0]

Find some else's pillow and see what they have written.

[Disastrous]

"All fillings have been tested..."

"Each filling has been tested..."

[bigandclever]

Not the first one because it says "Regualtions".

[chippy17]

bigandclever said:

Not the first one because it says "Regualtions".

typo

[13m]

chippy17 said:

which is correct:

'the fillings in this product have been tested and comply with 1988 Fire Safety Regualtions'

'the filling in this product has been tested and complies with 1988 Fire Safety Regulations'

?

thanks, the product is a pillow

If there is only one type of filling in any given pillow the correct answer is: 'the filling in this product has been tested and complies with 1988 Fire Safety Regulations'

[marshalla]

Why not just "This pillow complies..." ? Why do you have to mention the filling(s) at all ?

[chippy17]

13m said:

chippy17 said:

technically there can be two (feather and down) but would the word 'filling' mean both even if singular, ie all the filling in this pillow complies?

thanks

If there is only one type of filling in any given pillow then the correct answer is "filling".

thanks all, if you use the singular 'filling' could it not apply to anything that happens to be in it, whether that be one or more?

[boyse7en]

Singular ("the filling..." etc) is correct since even if it comprises a mix of two materials, the filling is still a singular item in its own right.

"Fillings" implies multiple, separate and different fillings (eg. "The fillings of these chocolates may contain nuts")

[chippy17]

Disastrous said:

"All fillings have been tested..."

"Each filling has been tested..."

thanks

[chippy17]

h0b0 said:

Find some else's pillow and see what they have written.

good point, well made

[chippy17]

boyse7en said:

Singular ("the filling..." etc) is correct since even if it comprises a mix of two materials, the filling is still a singular item in its own right.

"Fillings" implies multiple, separate and different fillings (eg. "The fillings of these chocolates may contain nuts")

I tend to agree, thanks

[allegerita]

We learned at school that in English words ending with “…..ing” generally describe an action, not a physical thing. Therefore filling being the act of stuffing the pillow could be thoroughly tested and compliant but does not say anything about the contents itself. It may well be stuffed with enriched Uranium and still comply.

I am non-native English so I could be totally wrong.

[CaptainSlow]

If in doubt, ask your favourite fast food outlet...

[Fastchas]

I would say that a 'filling' used in this context is a description of a combination of one or several materials.
'Fillings' would be used to descibe actions of, ie; 'those teeth have several 'fillings' but the 'filling' would be amalgum.
Therefore the correct word to use is 'filling'. IMO of course!

[glenrobbo]

I have never known until now such a boring pillow fight