<p>sorry off topic.</p>
<p>but is it
"There ARE just a plethora of things I could do"
or "there IS"</p>
<p>50%of my friends said are and the other said is!
idk which. i first thought it was are, but then plethora is singular...</p>
<p>When I said it out loud both sounded okay to me. I think I'd use is since plethora is singular.</p>
<p>yeah.. i thought so too, but the smart kids in my grade told me it was are, but when they tried to explain, they couldn't....</p>
<p>"Plethora" is a singular noun.</p>
<p>If a noun is singular, that means that you use "is" and not "are."</p>
<p>Use "bundle" in place of "plethora" and you'll find your way. The answer will be clear beyond doubt.</p>
<p>Anyoneee??</p>
<p>IIRC Plethora is a singular noun. I am sure there will be a plethora of answers forthcoming, but this is the correct one. Note that plethora is a collective grouping of (in this case an abundance of) things, and like any grouping noun, when acting as a singular group, the plethora is a singular noun.</p>
<p>Now my favorite grammar trick question..</p>
<p>Which of the following 2 statements are gramatically correct.</p>
<p>1) The jury has agreed on the verdict.
2) The jury have disagreed on the verdict.</p>
<p>Bonus question... Why?</p>
<p>Hint - it is related to the earlier answer.</p>
<p>D'yer - I'm betting on you to get it correct! No pressure here! ;)</p>
<p>That's is the problem...I know that it is singular, but it means abundance which is like a group.... </p>
<p>ohh but you said it is singular even if it is a collective group.
so i am putting down is</p>
<p>Jurors can agree or disagree with each other. But can a jury? An individual can disagree...if s/he suffers from multiple personality disorder. But can a jury disagree? Or agree? With itself? And, legally speaking, if we assume that this is the jury's own verdict (and they're not opining on some other verdict), then isn't the disagreement (among jurors) the verdict...meaning that -- by disagreeing as individuals, they've agreed (as a jury) on the verdict. Right? I'm sweating bullets, man. This is tough. I can't run and hide and pretend I didn't see this as I just posted in this thread. I may even turn to prayer, face Mecca, surround myself with crystals, and chant "oooommmm" if it might help to get this one correct....</p>
<p>as long as we are doing grammar, it is aloud not out loud</p>
<p>Well I agree it is is, but I was a little concerned because many intelligent kids told me it was are.</p>
<p>For crying out loud, doc! You know...I think I probably have used both without ever thinking about it. I think I've just reached into the hat and used whichever one I happened to grab. I certainly can't articulate a rule, but it seems that sometimes one works better than the other. What's the rule? Because "out loud" can be used sometimes, right?</p>
<p>Irregardless.... is a word EVERYONE needs to nuke from their vocabulary.</p>
<p>It's regardless. A perfectly fine word that is not altered, qualified, limited, emphasized or otherwise modified by the "ir" prefix. Regardless of how many "smart" people might use "irregardless," it's at its most offensive when used by the brainiacs among us.</p>
<p>The word took root as a comical term in vaudeville acts in the '20s and '30s, in which characters who were a little light on brains would, for comic effect, try to impress people that they're smart by using nonsensical large words. So, when I hear it used in prepared speeches and academic lectures I just die a little death.</p>
<p>I don't think "out loud" is ever correct---it sounds okay, but isn't.</p>
<p>Should it be: "for crying aloud?" Doc, while I note that you're correct as a matter of principle (after all a whispered tone can be "aloud" -- as in audible -- while "out loud" suggests something that registers a high volume), I believe you're fighting a losing battle.</p>
<p>"Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud." -- Herman Hesse</p>
<p>Comment: <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/68/48/4348.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.bartleby.com/68/48/4348.html</a></p>
<p>Out Loud Usage (Library of Congress article): <a href="http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/p180-howtoread.html</a></p>
<p>Aloud Usage: <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/familymatters/read/all/readaloud.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.scholastic.com/familymatters/read/all/readaloud.htm</a></p>
<p>Blatantly Inconsistent Usage: <a href="http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnetnyc/sscragg/poetry.htm%5B/url%5D">http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnetnyc/sscragg/poetry.htm</a></p>
<p>Discussions on this point: </p>
<p>AND</p>
<p>okay, okay!!!!!!! But one does not read "out loud".</p>
<p>...except if it's an author doing a reading to an auditorium full of antsy grade school children. Then you'd want to read it out loud into a microphone.</p>
<p>EDIT: I've decided upon my rule for choosing between the two. And I think it comes down to pacing. "out loud" has a staccato effect while "aloud" is (aptly) a more hushed and smoother term. To me, I think the choice comes down to which one is the best choice when I say it....to myself.</p>
<p>"Which of the following 2 statements are gramatically correct."</p>
<p>goaliedad,</p>
<p>First, your question above (lacking a question mark, by the way) is grammatically incorrect, since you are asking which ONE of the two statements IS correct, you should have used "is" not "are". ;)</p>
<p>Second, I believe the first sentence is correct -- why? -- because the jury is a collective body (body is singular) and IT acts as ONE.</p>
<p>clz -- It is "is" -- no ifs, ands, buts or whosoeverhaveyous about it! :)</p>
<p>leanid,</p>
<p>I'll give you the missing question mark. However, "which" can act as singular or plural. When plural, "are" would be correct.</p>
<p>I will send you the correct answer to the original question by PM later...</p>
<p>I guess you have PM turned off, so I will post the rule below invisibly (if I get it right). No peeking!</p>
<p> When the subject is a collective noun, conveying the idea of plurality, the verb must be plural; when it conveys the idea of unity, the verb must be singular. </p>
<p>scroll up one page to see the rule.</p>
<p></p>