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Todd Moody wrote:

>I think we use the simple plural in those cases where the magnitude is
>implied by context.  For example, I might say to a fisherman, "There are
>fish in this stream."  I don't want to say there is *a* fish in the 
stream,
>but I'm also not in a position to say much about how many fish there are.
>In context, the implied magnitude is "enough to be interesting to a
>fisherman."
>
>Another example:  "I didn't pick any blueberries because of the bees."
>Somebody *might* ask me how many bees, or they might simply understand 
that
>there were enough to deter me from picking blueberries.
>
>If I say, "Some kids are hanging around in front of the house", the word
>"some" gives no idea of the magnitude, except that it's more than one.  In
>context, I'm probably talking about a small group, because if there were
>hundreds out there, "Some kids are hanging around in front of the house",
>though strictly true, would be misleading.  That's because it would be an
>unexpectedly large number.
>
>So, I guess I'd say that the generic "more than one" plural is useful in
>contexts where there is a shared understanding or expectation of
>magnitude, and where a more precise designation isn't necessary.

I agree.