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because i think it should be brains. not brain.

2007-04-15 17:50:54 · 6 answers · asked by popcorn0421 1 in Education & Reference Words & Wordplay

6 answers

The sentence as you wrote it contains the mistake known as "disagreement in number." You should write either "Their mouths are going faster that their brains," or write "His mouth is going faster than his brain," (or "Her mouth is going faster than her brain.")

Oddly enough, the construction "His mouth is going faster than his brains" would also be correct, as "brains" can mean a singular brain in English, as in the expression "...beat someone's brains out..."

But it won't work the other way around as in the sentence you quote. Here we see a problem that arises with modern inclusive language. People are trying to use the words "them" and "their" and "they" to avoid issues of gender inclusion. This often creates vague, ambiguous, and illogical constructions, as in this case.

It is all very unfortunate, as English used to be gender inclusive, and that quality has been lost. "His" and "He" and "Him" used to include both sexes in ordinary usage. In 1950, "His mouth is going faster than his brain" would have been understood to mean "His or her mouth is going faster than his or her brain," unless a specific actor of known gender is clearly involved.

Unfortunately, illiterate feminists in the 1960s, who did not know how to read the English language, failed to understand this simple fact, and concluded that the use of masculine pronouns was sexist. So English became more complex and less clear. A sad thing.

I could go on to point out that the mouth really does not "go" in English, except in loose slang. The mouth "speaks." But hey. We've got enough to worry about, right?

2007-04-15 18:15:44 · answer #1 · answered by aviophage 7 · 0 0

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2016-10-22 07:05:07 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

Use "brains" to match the plural form "mouths".

2007-04-15 17:54:54 · answer #3 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0 0

and your thinking is accurate :)

their mouthS are going faster than their brainS.

2007-04-15 19:57:11 · answer #4 · answered by wat_more_can_i_say? 6 · 0 0

their mouth works faster than their brain
their mouths works faster than their brain.
its rite...to my understanding.

2007-04-16 11:59:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

yes
brains

2007-04-15 18:35:31 · answer #6 · answered by Manz 5 · 0 0

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