5 ms·

Is it “this couple reign” or “this couple reigns”? The former just feels wrong despite it being the title.

by ubutler 2y ago

Synaesthesia 2y ago
I think reigns sounds better. A couple is actually a singular noun.
- pvg 2y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_noun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_noun
  - pdabbadabba 2y ago
    Yep. And that Wikipedia article explains, collective nouns are normally taken to be singular in American English: > In American English, collective nouns almost always take singular verb forms (formal agreement). In cases that a metonymic shift would be revealed nearby, the whole sentence should be recast to avoid the metonymy. (For example, "The team are fighting among themselves" may become "the team members are fighting among themselves" or simply "The team is infighting.") Collective proper nouns are usually taken as singular ("Apple is expected to release a new phone this year"), unless the plural is explicit in the proper noun itself, in which case it is taken as plural ("The Green Bay Packers are scheduled to play the Minnesota Vikings this weekend"). I guess "couple" may be one of the exceptions?
benterix 2y ago
Looks terrible to me but apparently both are acceptable: https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/is-couple-singular-or-plural https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/is-couple-singular-o... > When writing of a couple getting married, it is more common to use the plural form ("the couple are to be wed"). When writing of an established couple, it is more common to use a singular verb ("the couple has six puppies, each more destructive than the next"). So according to MW we're a bit more right than NYT.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
jgwil2 2y ago
I'd expect the former in British English, because in that standard, grammatically singular nouns that refer to multiple people are conjugated in the plural. The latter would be typical for American English. It's a bit surprising to see the former used by an American author in an American publication, however.
- kemitchell 2y ago
  > It's a bit surprising to see the former used by an American author in an American publication, however. Strange things happen to American writers who read lots of Russian novels translated by Brits.
fullofbees 2y ago
[flagged]
pjc50 2y ago
Translation issue from the original English. (joke)

Is it “this couple reign” or “this couple reigns”? The former just feels wrong despite it being the title.

Synaesthesia 2y ago

I think reigns sounds better. A couple is actually a singular noun.

pvg 2y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_noun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_noun
- pdabbadabba 2y ago
  Yep. And that Wikipedia article explains, collective nouns are normally taken to be singular in American English: > In American English, collective nouns almost always take singular verb forms (formal agreement). In cases that a metonymic shift would be revealed nearby, the whole sentence should be recast to avoid the metonymy. (For example, "The team are fighting among themselves" may become "the team members are fighting among themselves" or simply "The team is infighting.") Collective proper nouns are usually taken as singular ("Apple is expected to release a new phone this year"), unless the plural is explicit in the proper noun itself, in which case it is taken as plural ("The Green Bay Packers are scheduled to play the Minnesota Vikings this weekend"). I guess "couple" may be one of the exceptions?

benterix 2y ago

Looks terrible to me but apparently both are acceptable: https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/is-couple-singular-or-plural https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/is-couple-singular-o... > When writing of a couple getting married, it is more common to use the plural form ("the couple are to be wed"). When writing of an established couple, it is more common to use a singular verb ("the couple has six puppies, each more destructive than the next"). So according to MW we're a bit more right than NYT.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

jgwil2 2y ago

I'd expect the former in British English, because in that standard, grammatically singular nouns that refer to multiple people are conjugated in the plural. The latter would be typical for American English. It's a bit surprising to see the former used by an American author in an American publication, however.

kemitchell 2y ago
> It's a bit surprising to see the former used by an American author in an American publication, however. Strange things happen to American writers who read lots of Russian novels translated by Brits.

fullofbees 2y ago

[flagged]

pjc50 2y ago

Translation issue from the original English. (joke)