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  • Vote Up0Vote Down Urban_TribesmanUrban_Tribesman
    Posts: 5,694
    Ok, but could you enlighten us with the approach you took in your search for WW's elusive band?
    For the record, when I post on this board, I am usually doing it between other things, so grammatically correct English is not at the forefront of my mind. If it was, I would probably not use the word 'fuck' so much! :)
    The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ.
    Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit.
    Shall lure it back to cancal half a line,
    Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
  • Vote Up0Vote Down iuventusiuventus
    Posts: 5,381
    I consulted the Ouija board. It spelled out 'jipsy,' but I knew what it meant.

    I'm pretty sure that the use of third-person plural for collective nouns would be considered grammatical (even in the US, thanks to Downtown Julie Brown) if only because it's accepted in so many dialects. Plus, as I've already suggested, there might be an historical basis for it. Language changes over time anyhow. For instance, the indicative form 'if it was...' has nearly overtaken the subjunctive form 'if it were' in recent years. 'Between you/him/her and I' is just wrong. Don't worry about others criticizing your grammar. Most people wouldn't even notice, as the Internet forum is generally a medium for conversational rather than formal language. I, myself, couldn't possibly care less. I was just providing an academic perspective to WW's ponderings. Besides, I enjoy even some of the most common variants of the English language. I've been meaning to investigate the reversal of the verb forms was and were in British English since I saw The Full Monty years ago.
    Post edited by iuventus at 2014-06-15 16:48:16
    If I were dead, could I do this?
  • Vote Up0Vote Down WhickwithyWhickwithy
    Posts: 5,169
    iuventus said:

     

    Post edited by Whickwithy at 2018-04-08 09:15:47
    https://sentienceww.blogspot.com
  • Vote Up0Vote Down WhickwithyWhickwithy
    Posts: 5,169
     
    Post edited by Whickwithy at 2018-04-08 09:15:35
    https://sentienceww.blogspot.com
  • Vote Up0Vote Down WhickwithyWhickwithy
    Posts: 5,169
     
    Post edited by Whickwithy at 2018-04-08 09:15:25
    https://sentienceww.blogspot.com
  • Vote Up0Vote Down Urban_TribesmanUrban_Tribesman
    Posts: 5,694
    Don't worry WW. In a forum like this, you need balls of steel. (Or is that Steel balls?) . As Iuventus says, it is conversational English on (in?) a forum and formal language can get in the way of the double entendres and general cussing !
    As I have said elsewhere on this board, I don't care what you call me, just don't call me late for dinner!
    The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ.
    Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit.
    Shall lure it back to cancal half a line,
    Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
  • Vote Up0Vote Down iuventusiuventus
    Posts: 5,381
    Whickwithy said:

    You're right, I would use the plural with those three.  I always have to think through on those, whether to use me or I.  If I don't, me usually gets it wrong.  ;)


    We're part intuitive and part intellectual beings.
    If I were dead, could I do this?
  • Vote Up0Vote Down WhickwithyWhickwithy
    Posts: 5,169
     
    Post edited by Whickwithy at 2018-04-08 09:15:15
    https://sentienceww.blogspot.com
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