Here's an example from the Python 2.2.2 distribution, Lib/unittest.py, lines 618-619: self.stream.writeln("Ran %d test%s in %.3fs" % (run, run == 1 and "" or "s", timeTaken)) Need I say more? -- Andrew Koenig, ark at research.att.com, http://www.research.att.com/info/ark