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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=842110920-24042007>I love grammatical discussions like this - Mom was an
English teacher, so it brings me back to my childhood.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=842110920-24042007></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=842110920-24042007>I usually think of learning as a collective noun
also. If the writer is really after pluralization, perhaps "findings"
would be a better word? Neither word would get an apostrophe, though, in
this context.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=842110920-24042007></SPAN><FONT face=Arial><FONT
color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN class=842110920-24042007>"</SPAN>R<SPAN
class=842110920-24042007>esearchers often share their findings with colleagues,
but keep their learning to themselves."</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=842110920-24042007></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><SPAN
class=842110920-24042007>-Shannon Larkin</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
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<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> editors-bounces@MIT.EDU
[mailto:editors-bounces@MIT.EDU] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Nancy DuVergne
Smith<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, April 24, 2007 4:07 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
lslavin@MIT.EDU; 'MIT Editors'<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Editors] Grammatical
question<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hi
all,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">My vote is that
learning is a collective noun, like deer and education. No matter how
many of you there are, you all share your learning.
(singular).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><FONT face=Arial
color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Nancy</SPAN></FONT></st1:place></st1:City><FONT
face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy">Nancy DuVergne Smith<BR>MIT Alumni
Association | Editorial Director<BR>W59-200 | 617-253-8217 |
ndsmith@mit.edu<BR><A
href="http://alum.mit.edu/">http://alum.mit.edu/</A></SPAN></FONT><FONT
color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">
editors-bounces@MIT.EDU [mailto:editors-bounces@MIT.EDU] <B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Lois Slavin<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tuesday, April 24, 2007 3:30
PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> MIT
Editors<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [Editors]
Grammatical question</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Is the following use of
"learnings" correct?</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"....shared their
learnings with other companies......."</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I have a colleague who says it
should be "learning's". He was an English major in college, not an engineer,
so I thought I'd better check with this
group!</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lois</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lois
Slavin</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Communications
Director</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">MIT Engineering Systems
Division</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><U1:STREET u2:st="on"><U1:ADDRESS
style="BACKGROUND-POSITION: left bottom; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(res://ietag.dll/#34/#1001); BACKGROUND-REPEAT: repeat-x"
tabIndex=0 u2:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">77
Massachusetts
Avenue</SPAN></FONT></st1:address></st1:Street></U1:ADDRESS></U1:STREET><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">E40-315</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><U1:PLACE u2:st="on"><U1:CITY u2:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cambridge</SPAN></FONT></st1:City><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></U1:CITY>, <U1:STATE
u2:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">MA</U1:STATE></st1:State> <U1:POSTALCODE
u2:st="on"><st1:PostalCode
w:st="on">02139</U1:POSTALCODE></st1:PostalCode></SPAN></FONT></st1:place></U1:PLACE><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">-4307</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Tel.
617.253.0812</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Fax:
617.253.1462</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">WWW: <A
href="http://esd.mit.edu/"><FONT color=purple><SPAN
style="COLOR: purple">http://esd.mit.edu</SPAN></FONT></A></SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><U><FONT face=Arial color=purple size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: purple; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A
href="http://esd.mit.edu/Esd_Staff/Lois/lslavin.htm">http://esd.mit.edu/Esd_Staff/Lois/lslavin.htm</A></SPAN></FONT></U><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
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