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My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? - Education (5) - Nairaland

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"A Honour" Or "An Honour" Which Is Grammatically Correct??? / My Name Is "OR" My Names Are; Which Is More Correct? / As I Said Vs. Like I Said: Which Is Grammatically Correct? (2) (3) (4)

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Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Evicsholar(f): 12:03pm On Jul 04, 2015
IYANGBALI:
God bless you jare,na me and you follow pass the exam,others na olodo especially the poster below me
olodo below u ke? Abeg ooo cos i no be olodo.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Adadinmaa(f): 12:05pm On Jul 04, 2015
So. Sanchez01 and Mizmycoly u are saying proffessor Soyinka was wrong, anyways its good to have ur views 'cos I ve also learnt.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by emmydee(m): 12:05pm On Jul 04, 2015
The correct way to introduce oneself is " My name is Goodluck Jonathan". Nobody has only one name even if u are a bastard, u must have a first name & a surname. Those who use " are" instead of " is" are half-literates.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by martineverest(m): 12:06pm On Jul 04, 2015
Both of dem are correct.it dpends on how u use dem.
My name is jonathn ebelle gudluck( jonathan ebelle gudluck is acting as a collective unit)
my names are jonathan ebelle gudluck,the clueless one,mr stealing-is-not-corruption,baba of otuoke etc( they all re no longer a unit butdifferent names)
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Originalsly: 12:06pm On Jul 04, 2015
damiloladuke:
depends on the usage, both are correct







PRESIDENT BUHARI MUST READ MY SIGNATURE


YOU SELF MUST READ IF YOU WANNA LAFF TIRE TONIGHT
Give an example when it is correct to say my names are.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Fellywood(m): 12:08pm On Jul 04, 2015
amanze15:
Abegi talk two names
And then....people should put the first name first. If your surname comes first then, put a coma after it before your first name. If your first document carries John Johnson & the second goes with Johnson John, it becomes two persons. If Johnson is the surname, then it should be like this...John Johnson or Johnson, John. This has caused many ALOT.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by naijanaso: 12:08pm On Jul 04, 2015
debolly:

Exactly.....its concord..... "is" agrees with singular while "are" goes with plural.

Not really. The correct thing here is My name is Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. If you want to use my names are.. It should be My names are Goodluck and Ebele Jonathan.

1 Like

Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by friends4ever(m): 12:08pm On Jul 04, 2015
My name is Friend (singular), my names are Friend Forever (plural)
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by mekadinho(f): 12:09pm On Jul 04, 2015
MizMyColi:


well, here's my reasoning...

In a sane world, no body has just one name.
The family is the smallest unit of human interactions and an emotional centre of sorts.

We'd all be lost if we had no family to identify with, which explains the reasons a sane human would normally crave for a sense of belonging....

Now this family you belong to has a name, that is first and foremost, who you are.

Which is why you don't hear people like Khloe Kardashian saying, "I am a Khloe"...but you can hear her saying "I am a Kardashian"
There's something about pedigree that speaks volumes of the stuff you're made of.

In other words, your surname and your name are dependent on each other and actually function as ONE when it comes to introducing yourself in a formal/semi-formal setting.

So, I'd rather go with my name IS Margaret Thatcher.
As far as identifying me is concerned, none is complete without the other.
I am Margaret and I'm a Thatcher.
In other words, my name is Margaret Thatcher.

"My names are" should, or, can be used when you need to make known your different names/titles, which to a very large extent are independent of the other.

For Example;

His name is Jehovah Elshaddai.

And

His names are Jehovah Elshaddai, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi.....
Respectively.
You catch my drift?
wink

Give me a hug sweety... I was abt to type something but stopped when I saw ur write-up.

1 Like

Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Originalsly: 12:09pm On Jul 04, 2015
Adadinmaa:
So. Sanchez01 and Mizmycoly u are saying proffessor Soyinka was wrong, anyways its good to have ur views 'cos I ve also learnt.
Soyinka was dead wrong for saying that...if he did. Maybe that's the reason for so many to swear my names are is correct.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by martineverest(m): 12:11pm On Jul 04, 2015
Not really......my name is linda uzor amaka.my names are linda uzor amaka;linda baby; tomato jos etc.....one is for collective unit(acting as one names) while d oda is seperate
debolly:

Exactly.....its concord..... "is" agrees with singular while "are" goes with plural.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by patricknz(m): 12:12pm On Jul 04, 2015
Shortyy:

i just answered what you asked. if you are still confused, get an English tutor.
Seriously? U r so clueless. U nid a tutor not him.SMH
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by NobleG1(m): 12:12pm On Jul 04, 2015
Djicemob:
My Name Is....

My Names Are...


This has caused serious arguments between me and friends couple of times so i decided to bring it to the house.English Language Gurus and Linguists,what are your take on the above phrases,which is better and grammatically correct when introducing oneself.Hopefully we can all learn a thing or two from your inputs.

Cc:Lalasticlala,Ishilove,obinoscopy

'My name is' is both grammatically and officially correct. Nobody would ask you 'What are your names?' or 'May I have your names?'
Anyone who says 'My names are' is wrong! Nobody talks like that in world except some st*upid Nigerians who claim to be "graduates".

It would be OK to say 'My first names are William Okon', but you would only say 'My name is William Okon Akpan'.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by kobe79: 12:13pm On Jul 04, 2015
FemiFaniKayode:


Prof na English u study?

Common sense bro!
This particular{ Nigerian} way of speaking arises when people indulge in too much broken English even mother tongues like Yoruba and Igbo do no confer that plural tense structure when speaking
Eg

Yoruba: Oruko mi ni; Musibau Akanni Ajanlekoko note it is not Awon oruko mi ni

Igbo: Aham bu: Okechukwu Nnabuife Otagburuagwu not plural { dont even know the plural form in Igbo} lol
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Fellywood(m): 12:13pm On Jul 04, 2015
mekadinho:

Give me a hug sweety... I was abt to type something but stopped when I saw ur write-up.
Hehehe...sharp guy...
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Odunharry(m): 12:14pm On Jul 04, 2015
MizMyColi:


well, here's my reasoning...

In a sane world, no body has just one name.
The family is the smallest unit of human interactions and an emotional centre of sorts.

We'd all be lost if we had no family to identify with, which explains the reasons a sane human would normally crave for a sense of belonging....

Now this family you belong to has a name, that is first and foremost, who you are.

Which is why you don't hear people like Khloe Kardashian saying, "I am a Khloe"...but you can hear her saying "I am a Kardashian"
There's something about pedigree that speaks volumes of the stuff you're made of.

In other words, your surname and your name are dependent on each other and actually function as ONE when it comes to introducing yourself in a formal/semi-formal setting.

So, I'd rather go with my name IS Margaret Thatcher.
As far as identifying me is concerned, none is complete without the other.
I am Margaret and I'm a Thatcher.
In other words, my name is Margaret Thatcher.

"My names are" should, or, can be used when you need to make known your different names/titles, which to a very large extent are independent of the other.

For Example;

His name is Jehovah Elshaddai.

And

His names are Jehovah Elshaddai, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi.....
Respectively.
You catch my drift?
wink

trust you

1 Like

Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Karlman: 12:15pm On Jul 04, 2015
Nobody has names....



We all just gat a name....




So if you're named a different hundred names, they're all just one single identity of you! They're your name, not names, irrespective of how mane they are.


In other words;
Question; Can we have your name miss?
Answer; Christina Muslima Rice!




['My names are' is such a bad grammar & I never used it & though I never bothered correcting those who do, as I no one's English Teacher.]
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by musicwriter(m): 12:16pm On Jul 04, 2015
MizMyColi:


well, here's my reasoning...

In a sane world, no body has just one name.
The family is the smallest unit of human interactions and an emotional centre of sorts.

We'd all be lost if we had no family to identify with, which explains the reasons a sane human would normally crave for a sense of belonging....

Now this family you belong to has a name, that is first and foremost, who you are.

Which is why you don't hear people like Khloe Kardashian saying, "I am a Khloe"...but you can hear her saying "I am a Kardashian"
There's something about pedigree that speaks volumes of the stuff you're made of.

In other words, your surname and your name are dependent on each other and actually function as ONE when it comes to introducing yourself in a formal/semi-formal setting.

So, I'd rather go with my name IS Margaret Thatcher.
As far as identifying me is concerned, none is complete without the other.
I am Margaret and I'm a Thatcher.
In other words, my name is Margaret Thatcher.

"My names are" should, or, can be used when you need to make known your different names/titles, which to a very large extent are independent of the other.

For Example;

His name is Jehovah Elshaddai.

And

His names are Jehovah Elshaddai, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi.....
Respectively.
You catch my drift?
wink


Well, I'm not even interested in the topic itself but your choice of examples. It speaks volumes. Must we always use the west as a yardstick, even in this situation?. Aren't there families in Nigeria you could've used to make your point?. Using Magret Thatcher, when we have a Goodluck Jonathan, Abraham Babangida, Sank Abacha, e.t.c?.

Using Kardashians when we have the Genevieves, Omotolas. The other day a guy made a similar analogy and said something like "it was like a movie out of Hollywood". This's when we have our own Nollywood, he could've used to make his point.

And for your information, the only reason you hear the Kardashian family refer themselves simply as a "Kardashian" is because in the USA your last name is conventionally regarded as being more important than your first name. People literally bear their last name in the USA.

You know why I'm telling you all these?. Because I see your one of the few people on this forum who have time to teach people. Make your contents local when driving home your point. By constantly bombarding the minds of Africans with western examples such as this, you're subconsciously accepting and telling others that we're inferior and do not even have a name. This's what is called colonial mentality. Fela Anikulapo Kuti called it "follow-follow. Get it?.

Elite brainwashing is the last stage of mental slavery http://www.africason.com/2015/05/elite-brainwashing-last-stage-of-mental.html
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by addjerry(m): 12:18pm On Jul 04, 2015
In as much it is grammatically wrong to say "Muhammad Buhari are the president of Nigeria"
Therefore it is most correct to say My name is Muhammad Buhari, I am the president of Nigeria.
My name is....is the most correct as long as it a single person
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by ndukwejoe(m): 12:19pm On Jul 04, 2015
my name is joseph ndukwe obinna it is wrong to say "my names are" when you are talking about you.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by deejayALFY(m): 12:19pm On Jul 04, 2015
IF U ASK ME "WHAT IS YOUR NAME"? THE ANSWER SHOULD BE MY NAME IS ALFRED, BUT IF U ASK ME "WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES" D ANSWER SHOULD BE ALFRED MADUKA UWAOMA...

QOUTE ME AND DIE YOUNG


CLIKE LIKE IF AM CORRECT
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by musicwriter(m): 12:19pm On Jul 04, 2015
MizMyColi:


well, here's my reasoning...

In a sane world, no body has just one name.
The family is the smallest unit of human interactions and an emotional centre of sorts.

We'd all be lost if we had no family to identify with, which explains the reasons a sane human would normally crave for a sense of belonging....

Now this family you belong to has a name, that is first and foremost, who you are.

Which is why you don't hear people like Khloe Kardashian saying, "I am a Khloe"...but you can hear her saying "I am a Kardashian"
There's something about pedigree that speaks volumes of the stuff you're made of.

In other words, your surname and your name are dependent on each other and actually function as ONE when it comes to introducing yourself in a formal/semi-formal setting.

So, I'd rather go with my name IS Margaret Thatcher.
As far as identifying me is concerned, none is complete without the other.
I am Margaret and I'm a Thatcher.
In other words, my name is Margaret Thatcher.

"My names are" should, or, can be used when you need to make known your different names/titles, which to a very large extent are independent of the other.

For Example;

His name is Jehovah Elshaddai.

And

His names are Jehovah Elshaddai, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi.....
Respectively.
You catch my drift?
wink


Well, I'm not even interested in the topic itself but your choice of examples. It speaks volumes. Must we always use the west as a yardstick, even in this situation?. Aren't there families in Nigeria you could've used to make your point?. Using Magret Thatcher, when we have a Goodluck Jonathan, Abraham Babangida, Sani Abacha, e.t.c?.

Using Kardashians when we have the Genevieves, Omotolas?. The other day a guy made a similar analogy and said something like "it was like a movie out of Hollywood". This's when we have our own Nollywood, he could've used to make his point.

And for your information, the only reason you hear the Kardashian family refer themselves simply as a "Kardashian" is because in the USA your last name is conventionally regarded as being more important than your first name. People literally bear their last name in the USA.

You know why I'm telling you all these?. Because I see you're one of the few people on this forum who have time to teach people. Make your contents local when driving home your point, like in this instance. By constantly bombarding the minds of Africans with western examples such as this, you're subconsciously accepting and telling others that we're inferior and do not even have a name. This's what is called colonial mentality. Fela Anikulapo Kuti called it "follow-follow. Get it?.

Elite brainwashing is the last stage of mental slavery http://www.africason.com/2015/05/elite-brainwashing-last-stage-of-mental.html

1 Like

Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by nigelcoop: 12:19pm On Jul 04, 2015
Shortyy:
my name is Goodluck. my names are Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
mumu example, my name is goodluckuck ebele jonathan. There names are goodluck, namadi, buhari and co
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by MizMyColi(f): 12:22pm On Jul 04, 2015
musicwriter:


Well, I'm not even interested in the topic itself but your choice of examples. It speaks volumes. Must we always use the west as a yardstick, even in this situation?. Aren't there families in Nigeria you could've used to make your point?. Using Magret Thatcher, when we have a Goodluck Jonathan, Abraham Babangida, Sani Abacha, e.t.c?.

Using Kardashians when we have the Genevieves, Omotolas?. The other day a guy made a similar analogy and said something like "it was like a movie out of Hollywood". This's when we have our own Nollywood, he could've used to make his point.

And for your information, the only reason you hear the Kardashian family refer themselves simply as a "Kardashian" is because in the USA your last name is conventionally regarded as being more important than your first name. People literally bear their last name in the USA.

You know why I'm telling all these?. Because I see your one of the few people on this forum who have time to teach people. Make your contents local when driving home your point. By constantly bombarding the minds of Africans with western examples such as this, you're subconsciously accepting and telling others that we're inferior and do not even have a name. Get it?.

Notedsmiley
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by skondo09(m): 12:22pm On Jul 04, 2015
MizMyColi:


well, here's my reasoning...

In a sane world, no body has just one name.
The family is the smallest unit of human interactions and an emotional centre of sorts.

We'd all be lost if we had no family to identify with, which explains the reasons a sane human would normally crave for a sense of belonging....

Now this family you belong to has a name, that is first and foremost, who you are.

Which is why you don't hear people like Khloe Kardashian saying, "I am a Khloe"...but you can hear her saying "I am a Kardashian"
There's something about pedigree that speaks volumes of the stuff you're made of.

In other words, your surname and your name are dependent on each other and actually function as ONE when it comes to introducing yourself in a formal/semi-formal setting.

So, I'd rather go with my name IS Margaret Thatcher.
As far as identifying me is concerned, none is complete without the other.
I am Margaret and I'm a Thatcher.
In other words, my name is Margaret Thatcher.

"My names are" should, or, can be used when you need to make known your different names/titles, which to a very large extent are independent of the other.

For Example;

His name is Jehovah Elshaddai.

And

His names are Jehovah Elshaddai, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi.....
Respectively.
You catch my drift?
wink


U are d boss
grin
MizMyColi:


well, here's my reasoning...

In a sane world, no body has just one name.
The family is the smallest unit of human interactions and an emotional centre of sorts.

We'd all be lost if we had no family to identify with, which explains the reasons a sane human would normally crave for a sense of belonging....

Now this family you belong to has a name, that is first and foremost, who you are.

Which is why you don't hear people like Khloe Kardashian saying, "I am a Khloe"...but you can hear her saying "I am a Kardashian"
There's something about pedigree that speaks volumes of the stuff you're made of.

In other words, your surname and your name are dependent on each other and actually function as ONE when it comes to introducing yourself in a formal/semi-formal setting.

So, I'd rather go with my name IS Margaret Thatcher.
As far as identifying me is concerned, none is complete without the other.
I am Margaret and I'm a Thatcher.
In other words, my name is Margaret Thatcher.

"My names are" should, or, can be used when you need to make known your different names/titles, which to a very large extent are independent of the other.

For Example;

His name is Jehovah Elshaddai.

And

His names are Jehovah Elshaddai, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi.....
Respectively.
You catch my drift?
wink


U are d boss

1 Like

Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by HyDef(m): 12:22pm On Jul 04, 2015
Djicemob:
But your name and your lastname is your identity representing you as a singular entity cheesy

Thank you good sir.

The correct form is 'my name is'.

As you said, your first name and last name together give you identity as an entity. That is your name. Not your names.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by EvenInFreetown: 12:23pm On Jul 04, 2015
MizMyColi:


well, here's my reasoning...

In a sane world, no body has just one name.
The family is the smallest unit of human interactions and an emotional centre of sorts.

We'd all be lost if we had no family to identify with, which explains the reasons a sane human would normally crave for a sense of belonging....

Now this family you belong to has a name, that is first and foremost, who you are.

Which is why you don't hear people like Khloe Kardashian saying, "I am a Khloe"...but you can hear her saying "I am a Kardashian"
There's something about pedigree that speaks volumes of the stuff you're made of.

In other words, your surname and your name are dependent on each other and actually function as ONE when it comes to introducing yourself in a formal/semi-formal setting.

So, I'd rather go with my name IS Margaret Thatcher.
As far as identifying me is concerned, none is complete without the other.
I am Margaret and I'm a Thatcher.
In other words, my name is Margaret Thatcher.

"My names are" should, or, can be used when you need to make known your different names/titles, which to a very large extent are independent of the other.

For Example;

His name is Jehovah Elshaddai.

And

His names are Jehovah Elshaddai, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Nissi.....
Respectively.
You catch my drift?
wink

What d op asked was:which of them is GRAMMATICALLY correct?.Grammar is simply obeying d rules of english both in speech and in writing. However,it could appear illogical smtimes e.g, make is plural, makes is singular.boy is singular, boys is plural.sheep is singular,sheep is also plural,but goat is singular and goats plural (sounds funny and illogical),but it's just the rule(law). We must adhere to it.just like in Nigerian law,smone that stole billions of naira upon conviction would be asked to choose b/w paying N750k or serving a 2-year jail term,whereas, a petty thief that stole, say,N10k would be sentenced to 3yrs jail term without an option of fine.so,but dats just d law(rule) which the judges are tied to, even when they are convinced that it's very illogical.I think i've digressed a lot just to draw my point.To answer the question, it is:'my name is'.That is d grammatical rule which even the native english speakers(british)use.However,you are free to freestyle in literary works(speeches/writing),which involves expressing ur thoughts originally as they come out from ur sub-conscience mind,such as u can see in literally works - peoms,prose, etc. writers use it to narrate their stories originally as d thoughts comes.such as in love letters,songs,hymns,novels,even in speeches etc.
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by engrpheleeks(m): 12:24pm On Jul 04, 2015
My name is'' is actually correct. "My names are" is a grammatical blunder. C'mon, are u twice?
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by tabisegroup(m): 12:24pm On Jul 04, 2015
Shortyy:
my name is Goodluck. my names are Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
y must it be EBELE's son?
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by sweatlana: 12:25pm On Jul 04, 2015
My name is....
Re: My Name Is OR My Names Are,which Is Grammatically Correct? by Nobody: 12:25pm On Jul 04, 2015
Shortyy:
my name is Goodluck. my names are Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Wrong!!!

As long as you're referring to ONE person, the correct thing is "My name is Goodluck Ebele Jonathan" smiley

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