ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: gone were/was

optilang — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:03:32 GMT

Kooyeen

As Jim said, in some languages hair is plural (mine too, and that's why I tend to make that mistake and use the plural). But on the other hand, optilang showed you how a certain "strange" expression can be normal in some dialects. Interesting, eh?

I wish my hair were plural, I might have more of it then.

Re: gone were/was

Yoong Liat — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:54:31 GMT

Hi New2grammar

You say "I comb my hair.' A single hair is called a hair or a strand of hair.

Re: gone were/was

Kooyeen — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:34:52 GMT

LOL, I really didn't know that! But I knew British English was one of the craziest.
I thought the opposite was true and slightly more common, that is, the singular was used instead of the plural. Almost like AliG, to give you a funny example...
Is you ready?

Re: gone were/was

nona the brit — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:21:52 GMT

In some places in England the traditional dialect will use 'were' for a singular situation - it's not just reserved for hair.

His leg were shot right off!

The shop were just down the lane.

Re: gone were/was

Kooyeen — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:15:39 GMT

New2grammar
can't believe what's on the Internet!

Do you want some more examples? I can give you a lot! You won't believe it! Yeah, the net is a mess.

As Jim said, in some languages hair is plural (mine too, and that's why I tend to make that mistake and use the plural). But on the other hand, optilang showed you how a certain "strange" expression can be normal in some dialects. Interesting, eh?

Re: gone were/was

optilang — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:56:33 GMT

Before she died, she woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and could not believe her eyes. Gone was her dark auburn hair.

Re: gone were/was

Yoong Liat — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:51:13 GMT

New2grammar
Gone were/was her dark auburn hair.
Which is correct?

Neither. Gone is her dark auburn hair.

Re: gone were/was

CalifJim — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:20:16 GMT

optilang
Also in Yorkshire
My/Me hair were longer in them days.

Hmmm. Very interesting. I did not know that.

Re: gone were/was

optilang — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:09:45 GMT

Also in Yorkshire

My/Me hair were longer in them days.

Re: gone were/was

CalifJim — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:05:41 GMT

I wonder if that was from a non-English speaker. In many languages "hair" is treated as a plural, but not in English.

Re: gone were/was

New2grammar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:54:05 GMT

I thought it was because I saw 'were' used. Really can't believe what's on the Internet!

Re: gone were/was

CalifJim — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:36:12 GMT

There's not a plural word in the whole sentence! was!

Was this supposed to be a trick question?

gone were/was

New2grammar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:34:36 GMT

Gone were/was her dark auburn hair.

Which is correct?

Thanks