Search results for 'tag:Football tag:Plurals' matching tags 'Football' and 'Plurals'

Re: Was or Were?

Kooyeen — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:30:24 GMT

wingfat
I guess I should have said I'm American. In the USA we'd say "my family is crazy."

If you are American you don't need any rules. You already know what sounds ok, and that's what counts. If somebody told you "It is I" is correct, would you start to say it instead of "It's me", even if it sounds totally weird? No.

When you have something like "a group of somethings", the verb can be either singular or plural, depending on whether you are referring to the group or the members of the group.

A team of engineers was/were working to find a solution.
A group of guys were playing football. <--- Here the plural is much better though, because you usually think of the guys, not the group.

That's what I learned.

Re: Transformational Rules and Subject-Verb Agreement

Cool Breeze — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:08:25 GMT

Anonymous
The couple is living in Dallas
The couple are living in Dallas

Which?

Either one will do. Couple is grammatically singular but two people are needed to form a couple. Especially in British English a plural verb is often used if many people are involved: England are up four to two. That's what a British sports commentator would say about a football match. I don't think I have ever heard is used in that context.

Re: Football / Ice hockey results and scores: How to write and talk

Yoong Liat — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:25:39 GMT

In BrE, one can use the singular or plural when referring to a team. It can England are leading OR England is leading. In AmE, the singular is used. This is another case of BrE vs AmE.

Re: Football / Ice hockey results and scores: How to write and talk

optilang — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:13:17 GMT

That is interesting indeed and I agree with you Old Man Gordon. I am from Finland and according to my Finnish-English dictionary I should say "Finland is leading 2-0" without using the plural verb and
"The Finns are leading 2-0" when using a plural expression. But I guess this is just a difference between British and American English.

I guess so. I am not from America or Finland.

Re: Football / Ice hockey results and scores: How to write and talk

EagerSeeker — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:04:46 GMT

Old Man Gordon

Optilang-

Is that how it is said on sportscasts in England? The team uses a plural verb, even if the noun (England/Manchester United/etc.) is singular? In the US, we'd use the plural only when talking about the team name which is usually plural, eg The Yakees are losing./ New York is losing.

It gets confusing with the modern innovation of uncountable team names. The Detroit Shock is winning (are winning?).

Re: Football / Ice hockey results and scores: How to write and talk

Old Man Gordon — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:28:42 GMT

Optilang-

Is that how it is said on sportscasts in England? The team uses a plural verb, even if the noun (England/Manchester United/etc.) is singular? In the US, we'd use the plural only when talking about the team name which is usually plural, eg The Yakees are losing./ New York is losing.

It gets confusing with the modern innovation of uncountable team names. The Detroit Shock is winning (are winning?).

Re: I am having trouble with subject verb agreements

Doll — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:04:45 GMT

So dear why is your answer wrong if you chose leads ?

Anyway, this is a different dituation really. Sometimes you can both use colloective nouns as either singular or plural. For example:

Her parents are bad: Her mom and dad... Her parents is bad: WE mean both the mother and father. We don't think them personally.

Turkish football team are playing excellent football. All the members in the team are playing excellent football.

Turkish footbal team is playing excellent football. Here we condider team as a unit, as something whole.

definition of ''game''

Jackson6612 — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 08:33:55 GMT

Please check the following definitions of game from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. My questions will appear in red in superscript position.

¹game

1 a (1): activity engaged in for diversion or amusement : play (2): the equipment for a game b: often derisive or mocking jesting : fun, sport <make game of a nervous player>2 a: a procedure or strategy for gaining an end : tactic b: an illegal or shady scheme or maneuver : racket 3 a (1): a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other (2): a division of a larger contest (3): the number of points necessary to win (4): points scored in certain card games (as in all fours^{What does ''all fours'' mean?}) by a player whose cards count up the highest (5): the manner of playing in a contest (6): the set of rules governing a game (7): a particular aspect or phase of play in a game or sport <a football team's kicking game> b plural : organized athletics c (1): a field of gainful activity : line <the newspaper game> (2): any activity undertaken or regarded as a contest involving rivalry, strategy, or struggle <the dating game^{What does ''dating game'' mean?}> <the game of politics>; also : the course or period of such an activity <got into aviation early in the game> (3): area of expertise : specialty 3 <comedy is not my game>4 a (1): animals under pursuit or taken in hunting; especially : wild animals hunted for sport or food (2): the flesh of game animals b archaic : pluck c: a target or object especially of ridicule or attack âoften used in the phrase fair game^{What does ''fair game'' mean?}

³game

1 a: having or showing a resolute unyielding spirit <game to the end^{What does ''game to the end'' mean?}> b: willing or ready to proceed <were game for anything>2: of or relating to game <game laws>

Re: Verbs...

Doll — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:14:54 GMT

First of all, I must apologise. I confused everythnig with my confused mind. I will try to explain again if you want to read.

Bob is one of those people who LIKE ~~(likes?)~~ to watch football. -- Comment this sentence like that: In this sentence "who" gives an explanation of "those people". Ask this question: which people? Those people who like to watch football. so, you must use plural. ( I must too)

Marxism is one of those theories that ARE ~~(is?)~~ seen as left-wing. Same comment as above. Which theories? Those theories that are seen as left wing. "That" gives an explanation of those theories and we can assume that it belongs to "those theories."

Graham, like so many other Harry Potter fans, IS ~~(are?)~~ an avid reader. This is correct!

Jane, like most nurses, CARES ~~(care?)~~ deeply about her patients. --Such sentences confuse people. The sentence between commas is an extra explanation so when deciding whether to use singular or plural, don't read this sentence. Just read the sentence in pink. Jane is singular and you should use is. This is correct too!

Elaine is one of those people that LOVE ~~(loves?)~~ to go shopping. Same comment as your first and second sentence.

Like many people, Scott LIKES ~~(like?)~~ to relax. ---Here, the one who likes to relax is only Scott. Now that Scott is singular, use is. This is correct.

I am so sorry again.

Re: Verbs...

Doll — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:45:08 GMT

Bob is one of those people who ~~LIKE~~ (likes?) to watch football. -- Comment this sentence like that:: For example, there are four people who likes to watch football. Bob, Ana, Barbara and Deniz. Bob is one of them and yo uare talking about Bob. In your sentence, Ana, Barbara and Deniz are "those people." So, Bob is "one of them." At the same time, Ä± mean Barbara, Deniz and Ana by "them".
Marxism is one of those theories that ~~ARE~~ (is?) seen as left-wing.

Graham, like so many other Harry Potter fans, IS ~~(are?)~~ an avid reader.

Jane, like most nurses, CARES ~~(care?)~~ deeply about her patients. --Such sentences confuse people. The sentence between commas is an extra explanation so when deciding whether to use singular or plural, don't read this sentence. Just read the sentence in pink. Jane is singular and you should use is.

Elaine is one of those people that ~~LOVE~~ (loves?) to go shopping.

Like many people, Scott LIKES ~~(like?)~~ to relax. ---Here, the one who likes to relax is only Scott. Now that Scott is singular, use is.

I underlined the places where you should be careful about when you decide whether you should use is or are.