Some words and expressions can be either singular or plural, depending on the context or the construction. But they can't be construed as both singular and plural at the same time, in the same sentence.
Consider these recent missteps:
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The couple was in New York at their Fifth Avenue penthouse on Thursday when news of the divorce, said to be Mr. Murdoch's decision, emerged.
We used a singular verb with couple, but a plural pronoun. Which is it? Here, as in most cases, we should have treated “couple†as plural; one hint is that we would never have said “its Fifth Avenue penthouse.†Occasionally, though, the singular is appropriate, when the couple is treated as a single entity - for instance, when one couple is compared as a unit with other couples. Here's what The Times's stylebook says:
couple may be either singular or plural. Used in reference to two distinct but assoc iated people, couple should be construed as a plural: The couple were married in 1952. The couple argued constantly; they [not it] even threw punches. When the idea is one entity rather than two people, couple may be treated as a singular: Each couple was asked to give $10; The couple was the richest on the block. In general, couple causes fewer problems when treated as a plural.
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Even as the number of views were adding up, so were concerns within the company about the site's future.
In this case, make it “the number of views was adding up†(or simply, “the views were adding upâ€). Here's the stylebook's guidance:
Total of or number of (and a few similar expressions, like series of) may take either a plural or a singular verb. In general, when the expression follows a, it is plural: A total of 102 people were injured; A number of people were injured. When the expression follows the, it is usually sin gular: The total of all department budgets is $187 million; The number of passengers injured was later found to be 12.
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When Diana Greene Foster, a demographer and an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco, first began studying women who were turned away from abortion clinics, she was struck by how little data there were.
Traditionalists among our readers bemoan our permissiveness in allowing “data†to be used as plural or singular, rather than insisting on the plural. (Actually, it's clearer to distinguish between its use as a “count†noun, requiring a plural verb, and as a “mass†noun, with a singular verb.)
But even we aren't as permissive as this example suggests; the word can't be singular and plural at the same time. In this example, if we insisted on “data†as a plural (count) noun, we would have to say “struck by how few data there were. †That doesn't really convey the intended sense; better to construe it as a mass noun and make it singular throughout: “struck by how little data there was.†Or, if you're worried about offending traditionalists, consider an artful dodge: “was struck by the paucity of data.â€
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In December, the Federal Communications Commission urged the F.A.A. to relax the rules of devices on airplanes during takeoff and landing, noting that the use of electronics “empower people to stay informed and connected with friends and family, and they enable both large and small businesses to be more productive and efficient, helping drive economic growth and boost U.S. competitiveness.â€
Here's a different problem. The verb in the quote is plural, so the paraphrased portion has to provide a plural subject; the singular “use†doesn't work.
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In a Word
This week's grab bag of grammar, style and o ther missteps, compiled with help from colleagues and readers.
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Emotional clips also made it difficult for depressed viewers to distinguish between fat-free and whole milk. As such, the study's author, Petra Platte, cautions against buying buttered popcorn: “Fifty percent of us might not even taste the fat,†she says.
“As such†does not simply mean “accordingly.†From the stylebook:
as such. In this construction, such is a pronoun, requiring a noun for its antecedent. Thus: She is an editor; as such, she assigns reporters. But not He works for The Times; as such, he covers medicine.
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The maker of the drug, Teva Pharmaceuticals, must first apply for permission to sell it over-the-counter to all ages, which the Food and Drug Administration has said it will approve promptly.
The hyphens would be needed only if the phrase were modifying a noun, e.g. an over-the-counter medication.
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So far, the Afghan security forces have held, but like the Americans and British before them, the price has been high, according to Afghan and Western officials and accounts by locals.
The “like†phrase is a dangler, since it does not modify the following noun (“the priceâ€).
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So is all this a case of wringing the hands (and the alarm bell) too soon?
Make it “wringing the hands (and ringing the alarm bell)†or abandon the wordplay.
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One of Mr. de Blasio's ideas includes a municipal identification card that would serve as proof of residence and allow illegal immigrants to access services.
Avoid this jargony use of “access†as a verb. Here, “get†or “receive†or “have access to†would all work.
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She said her son adamantly denied any abuse had taken place and th at psychologists and the police had emphasized how important it was for him to come to terms with his abuse and how, according to her notes, “testifying is a very positive experience†that would bring victims “enormous relief.â€
This long, cumbersome sentence is hard to read. Among other things, we should have “that†after “said,†to be parallel with the later “that.â€
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A review concluded that Jesse Friedman, whose case was featured in a film, was properly ruled as a “sex offender.â€
“As†is extraneous here.
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It stressed it would withdraw its support only if the economy were strong enough.
Here, we didn't want the subjunctive; make it “only if the economy was strong enough.†The original, direct quote was something like, “The Fed will withdraw its support only if the economy is strong enough.†After the past tense “stressed,†“is†changes to the simple past tense “was.â€
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Lindsay Benner, a professional juggler, honed her talents at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco after graduating college.
From the stylebook:
graduate (v.). A person may graduate from a school or be graduated from it. But never: They graduated high school.
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Still, some doctors and obesity advocates said that having the nation's largest physician group make the declaration would focus more attention on obesity.
This sort of shorthand is illogical, even silly; no one advocates obesity. Rephrase.
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The properties he bought up in the 1970s and '80s - the Shore Theater, the Thunderbolt roller coaster and the Playland Arcade - either remain dilapidated and largely vacant, or have been utterly vanquished.
This was an odd choice of phrase to describe properties. Did we mean “razed†or “bu lldozed�
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There were ministers and moguls, rabbis and raconteurs, a tall blonde model with a plunging neckline, a religious soldier with sidecurls and an Intel executive inexplicably donning a black beret.
Use “blond†as the adjective, the stylebook says.
