Dudgeon

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Perry Lassiter
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Re: Dudgeon

Postby Perry Lassiter » Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:56 am

Rreminds me of the use of is and are with collective nouns. The legislature is agreed, but sometimes the legislature are divided. Actually, we seldom use the latter, but the grammar books insist it is correct. If we think of a group acting as one, we use "is." If we think of individual actions within the group, we may choose "are." Or at least that's what I was taught. In the above example, some would be considered acting individually. Nicht wahr?
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Slava
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Re: Dudgeon

Postby Slava » Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:10 pm

I would always say "is" for singular collective nouns, but "are" for plurals, like sports teams. British English sticks with a singular for the plural collective.
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Re: Dudgeon

Postby Philip Hudson » Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:01 pm

Slava: Thanks for the Russian "odni" and its English translation to "some". As for English glasses, trousers, scissors, etc., I usually say "a pair of ... ,"even though the two parts definitely make a singular whole.
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Slava
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Re: Dudgeon

Postby Slava » Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:06 am

It may be mostly British speak, but I have come across "a scissors."
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call_copse
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Re: Dudgeon

Postby call_copse » Wed Sep 18, 2013 7:02 am

It may be mostly British speak, but I have come across "a scissors."
Really? I'd only recognise 'some scissors' - the only singular scissor would be 'a scissor kick' or similar.
Iain


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