Singular or Plural in this context?

Question

Hi,Let's say thePostre is a Malay lady and an Indian lady amongst a social group and a guy wants to talk to them.Which sentence makes grammatically sense in this context?He has a poor command of English and trying his best to converse with the Malay and the Indian lady.He has a poor command of English and trying his best to converse with the Malay and the Indian ladies.Thanks a lot.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

anonymousLet's say thePost re is a Malay lady and an Indian lady amongst a social group and a guy wants to talk to them.

I don't know what "thePost re" is.

anonymousHe has a poor command of English and trying his best to converse with the Malay and the Indian lady.

There is a mistake aside from the ladies.

"He has a poor command of English and is trying his best to converse with the Malay and the Indian lady."

The *** of the Malay is undetermined, but male is implied because you bother to mention that the Indian is a lady.

anonymousHe has a poor command of English and is trying his best to converse with the Malay and the Indian ladies.

Same problem, with additional Indians.

The solution is to say right out what you mean:

"He has a poor command of English and is trying his best to converse with the Malay lady and the Indian lady." There is no need to avoid the repetition, and it does not sound repetetive to a native speaker.

Singular or Plural in this context?

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