Proper Grammar help please

[EKKC]

i know when you say "they both' then you say 'were'
but now this is 'the duo' referring to a couple. i think it makes more sense to refer it as a single entity, so 'was'?

please help

thanks.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Was.

 

[Tiamat]

If the elements are part of one notion, one theme, one thing, you use the singular was. If they are unrelated, separate entities, use were.

The team was confused

Both friend and foe were confused


They were confused. -- This case uses a general plural and the meaning is lost to the general audience. Thus, you use "were".

 

[EKKC]

thanks guys. another reason why i love ATOT

 

[Dirigible]

I love this thread.

 

[Davegod]

Duo is plural, should be "were". However you can use "was" as a play on words, perhaps to make a point, e.g. Bennifer.

 

[ktehmok]

"the two were", or use "couple" Using duo sounds like they are Batman & Robin.

 

[E equals MC2]

Weapons of Mass Destruction is

Weapons of Mass Destruction are

which is it?????? I think it's ARE since 'Weapons' is the subject here.

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2
Weapons of Mass Destruction is

Weapons of Mass Destruction are

which is it?????? I think it's ARE since 'Weapons' is the subject here.

Right, you are talking about weapons.

WMDs are ...

The atomic bomb is ...

 

[CorCentral]

Ok, here's one........

Which is correct?
1-- Sony are a good company?
2-- Sony is a good company?
3-- Sony be a good company? j/k

If #2, then why do so many people say "are"? Just lastnight I heard it twice watching 3 diff. news programs. I also see it all the time online.

 

[Saint Michael]

Actually, usage differs between America and England. In England they prefer to think of singual nouns that represent multiple people as plural in verbal conjugations. Hence "the team were sitting" as opposed to "the team was sitting" in American English. I'd use the way appropriate to the country you're residing in.

 

[hdeck]

i've always used the singular verb for things like "the team" or "the duo" because it makes those multiple people into a single entity.

 

[eits]

were

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: Saint Michael
Actually, usage differs between America and England. In England they prefer to think of singual nouns that represent multiple people as plural in verbal conjugations. Hence "the team were sitting" as opposed to "the team was sitting" in American English. I'd use the way appropriate to the country you're residing in.

yup... i was gonna say that, but decided i didn't want to get into it. too much typing and i need to get in the shower.

 

[aplefka]

Originally posted by: Davegod
Duo is plural, should be "were". However you can use "was" as a play on words, perhaps to make a point, e.g. Bennifer.

Wrong.

Duo is singular although accounting for two people.

If you said "Bob and Jane" then it would be were, as there is more than one, but when you combine them you use was.

You wouldn't say, "The family were very happy at Disneyland."

 

[BoomerD]

The duo is a singular noun, so was is correct.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Davegod
Duo is plural, should be "were". However you can use "was" as a play on words, perhaps to make a point, e.g. Bennifer.

Collective, not plural.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: Davegod
Duo is plural, should be "were". However you can use "was" as a play on words, perhaps to make a point, e.g. Bennifer.

Collective, not plural.

Agreed. The word that will set the "was/were" requirement is the word "The." IF it said
Those duos", then it would be plural of duo, and since "those" indicates plurality, were would be right instead of was...

 

[Orsorum]

God I love this thread.

 

[Whisper]

I'm gonna agree with those suggesting the use of "was," as duo--while collective--is a singular noun, just like group, company, etc.

 

[mjrpes3]

Do things change if you replace 'the' with 'that'?

The duo is about to leave.
The duo are about to leave.

That duo is about to leave.
That duo are about to leave.

The word 'the' seems to causes the image of two separate people to come to mind, making us lean towards the plural. But the word 'that' seems to focus on the duo being a single entity being focused upon (a duo among other duos), making us lean towards the singular.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: hdeck
i've always used the singular verb for things like "the team" or "the duo" because it makes those multiple people into a single entity.

Yup, in the US that is correct.

In the UK, they do things differently. They treat collective nouns as being plural.

If you notice, in the US we treat company names as singular entities, such as "Intel is try to market the CPU", whereas in the UK, they'd say "Intel are trying to market the CPU"

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You are counting the two as a group. If you were going to say "Jay and Silent Bob..." you would use WERE. If you said "the duo" it would be was. Just as you would say "The flock [or group, or team, or pack, etc] WAS." I was specifically taught this since I had trouble discerning the two when I was younger.

 

[EKKC]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: hdeck
i've always used the singular verb for things like "the team" or "the duo" because it makes those multiple people into a single entity.

Yup, in the US that is correct.

In the UK, they do things differently. They treat collective nouns as being plural.

If you notice, in the US we treat company names as singular entities, such as "Intel is try to market the CPU", whereas in the UK, they'd say "Intel are trying to market the CPU"

them crazy brits!

 

[LS21]

Originally posted by: CorCentral
Ok, here's one........

Which is correct?
1-- Sony are a good company?
2-- Sony is a good company?
3-- Sony be a good company? j/k

If #2, then why do so many people say "are"? Just lastnight I heard it twice watching 3 diff. news programs. I also see it all the time online.

depends on your intention. if youre referring to the people of the company, or the company as an entity.

ie...
the beatles are bad musicians
vs
the beatles is a terrible band