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“We make an identity for ourselves”

or

“We make identities for ourselves?”

Which one is better? Why?

7caifyi
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ffmaer
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    @fumblefingers "Our stomach is full" is definitely wrong unless we share a stomach. "We make an identity for ourselves" is less strikingly wrong. In any case, it isn't very helpful to link to a thread which has been closed without any comprehensive answers on it. This is a tricky question, methinks, trickier than it looks, and deserves a decent answer. Consider: "I'd like you all to remove the mote from your own eye before...". "When you all get home remember to ask your wife" and so forth ... – Araucaria - Him Dec 14 '14 at 20:31
  • @Araucaria: I take your point, but I don't see it's a "tricky question". The distinction you make is trivial for ELU, but it might be more credible on ELL. – FumbleFingers Dec 14 '14 at 20:33
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    @FumbleFingers I think we all know which sentences are grammatical, but why they are is a different matter, imo. If it's not easy to see why, it's a worthy grammar of syntax question, it seems to me. – Araucaria - Him Dec 14 '14 at 20:51
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    There is certainly at least one complicating factor. Idioms do not necessarily follow the demands of conventional grammar. We'd certainly usually say 'They do not have a head for heights' rather than 'They do not have heads for heights'. Closer to OP's example, 'They made a name for themselves' outscores 'They made names for themselves' on a Google search. Like Araucaria, I believe individual cases have to be evaluated separately. With OP's examples, I can see myself opting for either in different contexts. – Edwin Ashworth Dec 14 '14 at 22:26
  • Surely 'They made a name for themselves' and 'They made names for themselves' are both grammatically correct and mean different things. Consider the following examples: "The team was really great that year, they made a name for themselves" this refers to the collective name the team made for themselves. "That entire class was full of ambition, they all made names for themselves" this refers to the distinct successes of every individual in the class. – Dave Magner Dec 23 '14 at 18:36

1 Answers1

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I think they mean different things, so which is better depends on which meaning you wish to convey.

"We make an identity for ourselves" talks about a collective identity, like a team identity.

"We make identities for ourselves" talks about individual identity.

This is what those sentences each mean, unless there is an idiom that demands alternative interpretation that is how they should be taken.

Dave Magner
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