Feb 20, 2012 17:14
12 yrs ago
10 viewers *
English term

ceramics are or is

English Tech/Engineering Materials (Plastics, Ceramics, etc.)
Please advise which is correct:

Y-TZP ceramics are effective in dentistry where their use increases every year.
Y-TZP ceramics is effective in dentistry where their use increases every year.
Y-TZP ceramic is effective in dentistry where their use increases every year.

The case in point is a ceramic material rather than products made from it
Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (1): Lara Barnett

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Discussion

Perfect explanation.
B D Finch Feb 20, 2012:
Depends what is meant If Y-TZP is a particular type of ceramic than it is singular:
Y-TZP ceramic is effective in dentistry where its use increases every year.

If Y-TZP is a company making ceramics or a class of ceramics that includes a number of different products, then it is plural:
Y-TZP ceramics are effective in dentistry where their use increases every year.
In all events, your 3rd suggestion is wrong. Your 2nd one is also wrong except in the context suggested by Tony, which does not seem likely here.

Responses

+8
3 mins
Selected

ceramics are effective in dentistry

As it stands, the verb should be in the plural. Other options could change this: "ceramic material is effective...", among others.
Peer comment(s):

agree B D Finch : Yes, as it seems most likely that "ceramics" is used to refer to the class of materials, not just to a particular ceramic material.
20 mins
Thanks, BD!
neutral Tony M : As a class of products, I'd agree; but Asker has specifically explained that it involves one particular ceramic material from the manufacturer.
23 mins
Thanks, Tony!
agree Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães : "Y-TZP" stands for "yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystal", a class of materials. Hence, "Y-TZP ceramics", as it is a range of products.
26 mins
Thanks, F!
agree Charles Davis
36 mins
Thanks, Charles!
agree eesegura
48 mins
Thanks, eesegura!
agree Jack Doughty
59 mins
Thanks, Jack!
agree Lara Barnett
3 hrs
Thanks, Lara!
agree airmailrpl : -
3 hrs
Thanks, airmail!
agree David Moore (X) : BDF has explained this excellently above
15 hrs
Thanks, David!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you all!"
4 mins

ceramic material

A quick check on Google leads me to believe that ceramic is the material, and ceramics are the products.
Something went wrong...
9 mins

'Ceramics' an be either singular or plural

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic"Ceramic" may be used as an adjective describing a material, product or process; or as a singular noun, or, more commonly, as a plural noun, "ceramics".

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Note added at 11 mins (2012-02-20 17:25:06 GMT)
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he word "ceramic" comes from the Greek word κεραμικός (keramikos), "of pottery" or "for pottery",[2] from κέραμος (keramos), "potter's clay, tile, pottery".[3] The earliest mention of the root "ceram-" is the Mycenaean Greek ke-ra-me-we, "workers of ceramics", written in Linear b syllabic script.[4] "Ceramic" may be used as an adjective describing a material, product or process; or as a singular noun, or, more commonly, as a plural noun, "ceramics".[5]

eski :))
Something went wrong...
+2
7 mins

ceramic is

If the emphasis is specifically on their material, then I'd use the singular throughout — imagine it as "XYZ ceramic material is..."

However, if it were "ceramic items made from XYZ are...", that would be a different kettle of fish.

'ceramics' can only really be followed by the singular when it means 'the art / technology / discipline of ceramics': "Ceramics is a field that offers lots of opportunities for young people."

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Note added at 28 minutes (2012-02-20 17:42:44 GMT)
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But of course, "where their use increases every year" would need to be changed too — though to be honest, that sounds pretty awkward to me in the first place; is this a translation RU > EN, if so, I'd advise re-working that end bit.
Peer comment(s):

agree Jenni Lukac (X)
3 mins
Thanks, Jenni!
agree Lara Barnett
3 hrs
Thanks, Lara!
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