Grammar - Which Is Correct?

SideWinder · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:09

I'm having an argument over MSN, Ph33r me. :rolleyes:

Offside wasn't as good as last time.

OR

Offside weren't as good as last time.

I said its "weren't". And i've just been blocked.

PardonTheWait · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:10

SideWinder said:
I'm having an arguement over MSN, Ph33r me.

OR

I said its "weren't". And i've just been blocked.

What's offside, in this case?

Is it a band or something? If they are, I'd personally say 'weren't' but many people say 'is' when referring to a band, which I don't really understand. It sounds wrong.

SideWinder · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:11

Offside is the name of a band.

robmiller · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:11

What is/are Offside? If it's a band/group/team/whatever, then it's "weren't" if you're British and "wasn't" if you're American. Americans refer to companies and whatnot in the singular, whereas in Commonwealth English we use the plural. In my unbiased opinion the latter makes much more sense

Also, it's "argument"

Gilly · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:11

In this context it's weren't.

Jimmeh · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:12

Gilly said:
In this context, it is weren't.

Gilly · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:13

Jimmeh said:
.

That's no improvement to my post...

SideWinder · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:14

Thanks for the quick replies. I got slightly worried as we're both studying English Language and she's predicted higher than me, grade wise. -.-'

SideWinder · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:14

Gilly said:
That's no improvement to my post...

He was just quoting you as he has the same opinion i believe.

benjo plz. · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:14

Gilly said:
In this context it's weren't.

I'll go with that. Wasn't is singular.

Melm0 · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:15

Surely it's "weren't" if is a group of people (band) you're talking about.

Gilly · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:15

SideWinder said:
He was just quoting you as he has the same opinion i believe.

Look closely at my post, then look closely at his response. He may have quoted me but he edited it.

Melm0 said:
Surely it's "weren't" if is a group of people (band) you're talking about.

You're saying that like it isn't what everyone else said

SideWinder · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:16

Melm0 said:
Surely it's "weren't" if is a group of people (band) you're talking about.

I'm being told its a "collective pronoun"..she used the example "The dog was good" and "The band was good." Makes no sense, dog is singular. Band is more than one person..

JohnnyG · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:16

SideWinder said:
Thanks for the quick replies. I got slightly worried as we're both study English Language and she's predicted higher than me. -.-'

Not surprised really as that doesn't make sense

SideWinder · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:18

JohnnyG said:
Not surprised really as that doesn't make sense

Yes it does. Check your quote.

benjo plz. · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:19

SideWinder said:
Yes it does. Check your quote.

no it doesn't "as we're both study English Language"

Gilly · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:19

SideWinder said:
I'm being told its a "collective pronoun"..she used the example "The dog was good" and "The band was good." Makes no sense, dog is singular. Band is more than one person..

Nope. She's right in that context as 'the band' is singular. You're talking about one band.

Once you name the band it changes.

If, from the start, she'd said 'the band wasn't as good' then she'd have been correct. Instead she said 'offside wasn't as good' which is incorrect.

benjo plz. · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:20

SideWinder said:
"The band was good."...Band is more than one person..

Band can be singular too.

Gilly · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:21

Phnom_Penh said:
Band can be singular too.

Wayyyy too slow

[edit]And incorrect too

SideWinder · 19 Mar 2006 at 17:23

Gilly said:
Nope. She's right in that context as 'the band' is singular. You're talking about one band.

Once you name the band it changes.

If, from the start, she'd said 'the band wasn't as good' then she'd have been correct. Instead she said 'offside wasn't as good' which is incorrect.

Ah ha.