Evergreen Times

Have you noticed that the choice between singular and plural forms of words can get a little tricky? If you haven’t, then you might learn something from this short article! Top tip: don’t rely on grammar checkers unless you already know what you’re doing. They can be confusing, and sometimes, they’re just plain wrong!

The Company Is or The Company Are?

You might think that this is a pretty simple choice, but it has its pitfalls, and the resulting mistakes occur all-too frequently. On the bright side, they occur so often, that many readers won’t even notice.

As you know, “is” is the singular form, and “are” is the plural one. The most commonly made mistake is to say “X Company are” or to refer to a company as “them” or “they” The logic behind it is easy to see. A company consists of many people, so we’re inclined to use the plural form, even though a company is an entity all on its own.

Remembering that a company is a non-human entity will help you to avoid the incorrect use of words associated with it. “The Company is” would be the correct form, and since a company isn’t a human entity, “it” (and not “they”) helps people with its products or services.

If, on the other hand, you refer to people in the company, for example its technicians, you’re on safe ground using the plural forms.

Data vs Datum

Did you know that “datum” is the singular of “data?” We tend to see the word as a collective noun which would justify the use of the singular forms of words relating to it. However, in it’s most correct usage, “data” is a plural, and that leads us to the rather awful conclusion of saying “data are” rather than “data is” if we want our grammar to be absolutely correct.

Once again, we’re more likely to see people using the incorrect state-of-being verb than the correct one, and you may be pleased to know that while most experts agree that “data are” is actually correct, they find it somewhat pretentious and are rooting for “data is.” After all, when last did you hear anyone talking about a “datum?”

Languages continue to evolve, and while it may be better to say “these data suggest” than “this data suggests,” it seems likely that the correct grammatical forms, already falling into disuse, will cease to be seen or heard in future.

Him, Her, or They

Pop quiz! Which of the following two statements is better?

1. “When you take your child to the dentist, he or she will be happy.”
2. “When you take your child to the dentist, they will be happy.”

Answer: The first statement may seem better from a grammatical perspective, but both statements are ambiguous because we can’t be sure whether the child, the dentist, or both are likely to experience happiness. And if it’s the child or includes the child – well, happiness cannot be expected to ensue.

Lame jokes aside, the “he or she” option when referring to a single person, for example a child, or even a dentist, would be correct. “They” is used for plurals, so it isn’t really correct. However, saying “he or she” is horribly cumbersome and you can end up having to use it several times when describing a single scenario in which the gender of a person is not specified.

But hey, hello! Language changes with the times, and if there’s one thing we can thank the confusing plethora of “genders” so much in the news recently for, it’s the ability to use “they” when referring to a single person.

Happy? I certainly am!

To be a Stickler or Not to be a Stickler, That is the Question

If you’re going to be a stickler for correctness, you might raise eyebrows for saying things like “these data are,” and you might end up getting tied in knots with “he or she” and “him or her.” Although they’re still “officially” incorrect, the commonly-used forms are just so much easier to live with.

As for the “is” or “are” and the “they” or “it” related to non-human entities like governments or businesses, I’m inclined to stick with the correct forms while not being too horrified by the incorrect ones.

In closing, it seems that the most important thing to remember about grammatical correctness is not to get too weird about it. If that’s how people talk, they should be able to write like that too. After all, language is for communication.

As a writer, you might find yourself wincing at the sight of “data is” or getting antsy when you hear that “the government are” but ultimately, it doesn’t really matter all that much, does it? In years to come, the rarer (correct) forms are likely to fall out of use, so much as we occasionally feel uncomfortable about it, we move with the times!