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Pedants' corner

'has' or 'have'

(15 Posts)
goldengirl Sat 26-Nov-11 17:33:00

I often hear newsreaders and others saying the Government 'have' done this or that. Am I right in thinking it should be 'has'?
Similarly with the word 'none' I've heard '...none have' rather than 'none has' but surely 'none' = not one and is therefore singular?
I've heard these usages now for so long I'm beginning to think I'm either wrong or old fashioned hmm

bagitha Sat 26-Nov-11 17:47:18

'has' in both cases, I'd say.

absentgrana Sat 26-Nov-11 18:11:14

England have lost again (surprise, surprise)
A group of teenagers have…
Manchester United are going to…
One person is ten are going to develop flu…

It happens all the time but, to be fair, the meaning of what is being said is still perfectly clear. It' just annoying for us pedants.

gracesmum Sat 26-Nov-11 19:48:39

Is it time fpr the Pedants' Revolt?

Elegran Sat 26-Nov-11 20:08:16

Gransnet pedants have been revolting from the start, but I think we are voices crying in the wilderness.

em Sat 26-Nov-11 20:20:52

Oddly enough I've heard a couple of examples just today including 'There's lots of reasons for this'.

Joan Sun 27-Nov-11 03:09:44

Yes, many of us get our plurals wrong, resulting in has instead of have. We treat singular group words as if they were plural, because the meaning is plural, in a way.

Anyway, count me in to the Pedants' Revolt.

bagitha Sun 27-Nov-11 07:50:51

I think I quite often say things that I wouldn't write. At least, if I did write them, I'd correct them, but speech moves at a faster pace. Also, things like "there's some more over there" trip of the tongue faster than "there are...." Maybe that's the main reason for many of these mistakes — it's just easier to say it wrong. At one time things like don't and wasn't were frowned upon. Where I grew up people tended to say "did you not?" rather than "didn't you?"

goldengirl Sun 27-Nov-11 11:11:27

Yes, I agree that it's probably a speech thing. I had it dinned into me by my father, hence my pedantry on this one smile. Funnily enough I always say 'did you not?' in response to someone's view but 'didn't you?' at the beginning of the sentence if I'm instigating the question.
Pedants' corner is certainly making me think!

raggygranny Mon 05-Dec-11 14:36:11

Which Tyler was the leader of the Pedants' Revolt! grin

Joan Mon 05-Dec-11 22:35:43

What??

raggygranny Tue 06-Dec-11 16:31:56

Wat Tyler was the leader of the Peasants Revolt (1381). But a pedant would say it shouldn't be 'What' Tyler but 'Which' Tyler ... er, geddit? confused

Nsube Tue 06-Dec-11 20:06:06

Golden girl- did you not - is the northern form of didn't you. Much more attractive to my ears, as a northerner in exile!

goldengirl Wed 07-Dec-11 12:08:42

And I'm a true southerner Nsube!

Ariadne Wed 07-Dec-11 13:37:34

raggygranny grin