harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Recently I've noticed on television programmes that presenters have been saying "the next couple in to the final is" .............surely that should be are ........I even heard someone say it on the news .............did nun of theese reetards go to skool?
Jonnyboy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 surely a couple is singular? - eg"one couple" therefore "the couple is sexy"
Hatch Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 I have noticed this too, but not mentioned it, in case I was wrong.
Verbal Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Is is right. Couple is a collective noun, and therefore singular.
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 rpb said: Couple is singular - 'is' is correct. How can 'couple' be singular????????
bridge too far Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 harvey said: How can 'couple' be singular???????? Because a couple is a single entity. However, if the reference was to two couples, then it would be 'the two couples are'. Similarly, A pair is singular, two pairs are plural.
saint boggy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 harvey said: How can 'couple' be singular???????? i too have wondered this.......... "couple" as in "a couple".....how CAN they still be a couple and yet single as in "not a couple".....it's confusing,isn't it............
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 bridge too far said: Because a couple is a single entity. However, if the reference was to two couples, then it would be 'the two couples are'. Similarly, A pair is singular, two pairs are plural. But generally speaking you would say "the next couple are" not "the next couple is" wouldn't you?
Verbal Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 saint boggy said: i too have wondered this.......... "couple" as in "a couple".....how CAN they still be a couple and yet single as in "not a couple".....it's confusing,isn't it............ Because in 'they are a couple', the 'are' agrees with 'they' (ie plural).
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 saint boggy said: i too have wondered this.......... "couple" as in "a couple".....how CAN they still be a couple and yet single as in "not a couple".....it's confusing,isn't it............ You're quite right Saint Boggy .....but I'm really thinking about the current use of the English Language and it's use in the vocabulary of the media at the present time
saint boggy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Verbal said: Because in 'they are a couple', the 'are' agrees with 'they' (ie plural). private "joke" with the OP Verbal........ unlike him, i DO understand the more complex inner workings of the English Language....... the next couple is is indeed correct....the next couples are is also correct.....
Deppo Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 There's nothing worse than poorly informed pedants.
Deppo Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Deppo said: There's nothing worse than poorly informed pedants. Although Facebook-style "likes this" statements run it a close second.
Deppo Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 I do like you though, SuperMikey. I should tell you that.
saint boggy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Deppo said: There's nothing worse than poorly informed pedants. as you are,presumably,referring to only ONE poster in that post i believe you should have used the singular in your sentence.......ie, there's nothing worse than a poorly informed pedant....
Deppo Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Oh dear. Another poorly informed pedant. Please don't make this any worse for yourself, saint boggy.
Smirking_Saint Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 bridge too far said: Because a couple is a single entity. However, if the reference was to two couples, then it would be 'the two couples are'. Similarly, A pair is singular, two pairs are plural. Would that not make it a pair of pairs ?
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 Deppo said: I do like you though, SuperMikey. I should tell you that. What about me??? You pm'd me about 6 months ago and then nothing ............ Btw.......atm I am currently listening to 'The Extra Action Marching Band with David Byrne' Burning Down The House
saint boggy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Deppo said: Oh dear. Another poorly informed pedant. Please don't make this any worse for yourself, saint boggy. tbf, you could've done with having a comma after "Oh dear" rather than a full stop,it would've saved you the trouble of pressing CAPS LOCK for the 'A'.....
Deppo Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 I like you harvey. Poorly informed pedantry aside.
saint boggy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 harvey said: What about me??? You pm'd me about 6 months ago and then nothing ............ Btw.......atm I am currently listening to 'The Extra Action Marching Band with David Byrne' Burning Down The House DEAR GOD!!!!!! this isn't the effing "What are you listening to " thread ya know!!!!!....stop hijacking other people's threads!!!!!.............oh....
Deppo Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 saint boggy said: tbf, you could've done with having a comma after "Oh dear" rather than a full stop,it would've saved you the trouble of pressing CAPS LOCK for the 'A'..... Please stop. I'm embarrassed for you. Also... CAPS LOCK? Really?
Verbal Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Can you be a pedant and poorly informed? Surely you have to be right for the pedantry to be pedantry. Otherwise it's delldays.
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 Deppo said: I like you harvey. Poorly informed pedantry aside. harvey really should be spelt with a capitol 'H' Deppo
bridge too far Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 harvey said: harvey really should be spelt with a capitol 'H' Deppo If I may make so bold .......... That should be capital.
Deppo Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Verbal said: Can you be a pedant and poorly informed? Surely you have to be right for the pedantry to be pedantry. Otherwise it's delldays. As far as I see it, pedantry doesn't automatically signify correctness.
bridge too far Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Verbal said: Question mark? Are you asking that of me? In other words, you are suggesting my final sentence has an antipodean upflection?
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 bridge too far said: If I may make so bold .......... That should be capital. And you're quite right to be so bold BTF,......I stand corrected
Verbal Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Deppo said: Deschamps, Didier. He's the one with the fountain, right? Or is that dune?
landford.saint Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Verbal said: Descartes? I think, therefore I am I can't think therefore I steal other peoples ideas. Did you know that Descartes is credited for a lot of early psychology thesis that it is probable that he stole from Edward Reynolds born in Southampton.
Hamilton Saint Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 harvey said: You're quite right Saint Boggy .....but I'm really thinking about the current use of the English Language and it's use in the vocabulary of the media at the present time Its - meaning belonging to it - does not take an apostrophe. An apostrophe is used when it's is a contraction - when it means it is.
Verbal Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 Hamilton Saint said: Its - meaning belonging to it - does not take an apostrophe. An apostrophe is used when it's is a contraction - when it means it is. ...
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 Hamilton Saint said: Its - meaning belonging to it - does not take an apostrophe. An apostrophe is used when it's is a contraction - when it means it is. I committed a terrible faux pas ........from here on in I am your sevant
saint boggy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 harvey said: I committed a terrible faux pas ........from here on in I am your sevant don't apologise Harvey, you were right to put an apostrophe.....(if indeed I was taught correctly at school..)....an apostrophe is used to indicate and abbreviation and conjoining of 2 words ,ie "it is" becomes "it's" AND also to indicate "belonging to", ie when something belongs to something or someone....ie that's Bert's porn mag....
harvey Posted 15 January, 2011 Author Posted 15 January, 2011 saint boggy said: don't apologise Harvey, you were right to put an apostrophe.....(if indeed I was taught correctly at school..)....an apostrophe is used to indicate and abbreviation and conjoining of 2 words ,ie "it is" becomes "it's" AND also to indicate "belonging to", ie when something belongs to something or someone....ie that's Bert's porn mag.... Thanks St boggy , maybe I could borrow that porn mag sometime :-)
saint boggy Posted 15 January, 2011 Posted 15 January, 2011 harvey said: Thanks St boggy , maybe I could borrow that porn mag sometime :-) you'd best ask Bert.Afterall, it's his
SuperMikey Posted 16 January, 2011 Posted 16 January, 2011 Deppo said: Although Facebook-style "likes this" statements run it a close second. You're just jealous of my acerbic wit. Can't handle the bite, can you Deppo?
Deppo Posted 16 January, 2011 Posted 16 January, 2011 (edited) I think so. Unless saint boggy wants to take another stab at it. She was getting closer with the apostrophe thing. We'll mark it down as a near miss. Edited 16 January, 2011 by Deppo
Weston Super Saint Posted 16 January, 2011 Posted 16 January, 2011 Once Saint Boggy has mastered the apostrophe, maybe she could move on to how to use a 'space bar'?
Hamilton Saint Posted 17 January, 2011 Posted 17 January, 2011 saint boggy said: don't apologise Harvey, you were right to put an apostrophe.....(if indeed I was taught correctly at school..)....an apostrophe is used to indicate and abbreviation and conjoining of 2 words ,ie "it is" becomes "it's" AND also to indicate "belonging to", ie when something belongs to something or someone....ie that's Bert's porn mag.... Sorry, you are wrong. When "its" is used to mean 'belonging to it', an apostrophe is not correct. The apostrophe is only used for the contraction, when it's means 'it is'.
saint boggy Posted 17 January, 2011 Posted 17 January, 2011 Weston Super Saint said: Once Saint Boggy has mastered the apostrophe, maybe she could move on to how to use a 'space bar'? I doubt it, lots of full stops are the future..........mark my words!
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