Discussion Forum (Archived)
Guest
Collective nouns in singuar form can be treated oddly.
It drove me crazy reading The Great Gatsby that Fitzgerald kept writing “his family were … .†I understand that this kind of language is more common in the UK than in the USA. To my ear, it sounds aristocratic and awkward.
But we do it in the USA often enough in other contexts. I often hear it around sports. You can hear the same person say “the team is in California today†and “the team are gathering to celebrate.†Some say that the singular verb emphasizes the collective actions, whereas the plural verb emphasizes separate or aggregate actions. It seems to hold up.
So “that couple are in love†would sound really off to me but “that couple are breaking up†might slip by. (I wouldn't say “are†here, mind you. But I would refrain from wincing.)
Still, I'm with you in your sentiment. These are jst things I picked up because it also rings tinny in my ears.
Garner says collective nouns take singular verbs - usually.
But in this case, if you were using a pronoun instead of the noun "couple" you would say "they were on their honeymoon."
Garner: "...unlike other collective nouns, couple should take a plural verb far more often than a singular one."
We go 'round this mulberry bush in the newsroom so frequently, you'd think we'd remember the answer without having to crack open the books. But we often wind up consulting them again. We have similar issues with "pairs" of business partners. The pair were/the pair are ... argh. You just have to pick the one that sounds best in context.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
1 Guest(s)