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Re: Dudgeon

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:56 am
by Perry Lassiter
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?

Re: Dudgeon

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 12:10 pm
by Slava
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.

Re: Dudgeon

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:01 pm
by Philip Hudson
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.

Re: Dudgeon

Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:06 am
by Slava
It may be mostly British speak, but I have come across "a scissors."

Re: Dudgeon

Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 7:02 am
by call_copse
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.