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Pastimes : SI Grammar and Spelling Lab

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To: Jack Clarke who wrote (3377)	11/6/1999 1:28:00 PM
From: jbe	Read Replies (1) of 4711

<<The American people is supportive of me.>> I hate to side with a nitwit, but I see nothing wrong with the above sentence. Thanks for the compliment, Jack, but in this case I felt the need to pick the truly "encyclopedic" brain(s) of Fowler/Gowers ("Usage," 2nd Edition). They distinguish 7 different kinds of collective nouns, "people" falling into the category of "nouns of multitude." Basically, the 2nd Edition's position is that there is no set rule: it all depends on context. For example: The Cabinet is divided is better, because in the order of thought a whole must precede division; and The Cabinet are agreed is better, because it takes two or more to agree. Bush's point is that the American people, as a whole, supports him. I can only hope he is wrong! Joan

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