I ordered the new version of the Associated Press Stylebook for my home use (we expect to get them in office soon). The book has a summary of the changes right after the foreword on a page titled "What's New." One of the most interesting changes for grammar geeks is the "collective nouns" entry. Here is a part of the entry:
Collective nouns: Nouns that denote a unit take singular verbs and pronouns: class, committee, crowd, family, group, herd, jury, orchestra, team. ...
Team names and band names, however, take plural verbs. The Miami Heat are battling for the league's worst record.
That team and band names are to be treated as plural is a change. I am glad that the stylebook finally spells this out. Although we had been treating singular-sounding names as singular (The Who comes to mind), I agree with this rule. It's easier to apply it consistently.
P.S. I guess that should be "The Who come to mind."
Comments
dertghjadet sancısına ne
Mon, 11/16/2009 - 20:23 — digitrdertghjadet sancısına ne iyi gelirhadi garierotik film izle - fersbuk - aşk falı - dertyli - cinsel pozisyonlar - henbi sıcak sohbet - gerdsacvbnm
günaydın mesajları demi
- - - ferdsazx isyan sözleri - gertyu -escort bayanlar hertfders - bedava film izle - gertyuliseli kızlar -fersd aşk şiirleri - merty çet -certylş şifalı bitkiler ve faydaları - gbnmöç. dul bayanlarla sohbet gtredsa - islami çet treds-playboy güzelleri bgtyuıop - çet hyuopğ
çetleşme jklşi
çet sohbet - hjklşhikayeler - htres çet sohbet asd
müzik dinle fgtre -sohbet - gbnmöçtürkü dinle jmöç
şarkı dinle ujklş
film izle uıkl - cinsel pozisyonlar grtyu
escort bayanlar -frty
rted- sohbet - gerkapak laflar - ert
sohbet peki
I hope the AP is banning
Mon, 08/18/2008 - 21:07 — Anonymous (not verified)I hope the AP is banning "first-ever." First is simply first. "First-ever" has always struck me as being in the same league as "completely destroyed."
First ever
Tue, 08/19/2008 - 09:38 — Pam_Nelson (author)The Associated Press Stylebook doesn't mention "first ever." But careful writers and editors are aware of such redundancies. Copy editors, in particular, try to be alert to flabby language and tighten up when they can.
Pam Nelson
Triangle Grammar Guide
AP Stylebook Changes for 2008
Wed, 09/10/2008 - 12:43 — Eileen (not verified)Regarding "First ever" in Comments 8/19 you wrote: The AP Stylebook doesn't mention "first ever." But careful writers and editors are aware of such redundancies.
As a proofreader, shouldn't the period go after the end quotes in this case? Secondly, I thought you shouldn't start a sentence with a conjunction like but. Thanks for clarifying.
RE: changes
Wed, 09/10/2008 - 15:33 — Pam_Nelson (author)The common style is for periods always to go inside the quotation marks, even on single words.
English teachers told students for years not to start sentences with conjunctions, but that is one of those outdated "rules" of writing and grammar. Such constructions are common in journalistic writing. However, in formal writing, it is better not to start a sentence with one of the coordinating conjunctions.
Thanks for the questions.
Pam Nelson
Triangle Grammar Guide
Not new in 2008
Tue, 07/15/2008 - 11:25 — Doug Fisher (not verified)The entry is not new in 2008. It was in the 2007 version. The 2008 version just clarifies with an example. And the prescription on team names has been in the sports section for several years.
New to us
Tue, 07/15/2008 - 15:09 — Pam_Nelson (author)Thanks, Doug. We didn't get the 2007 version here (not even the electronic version) so we just skipped right past it.
Pam Nelson
Triangle Grammar Guide
Plural Team Names
Fri, 07/11/2008 - 11:23 — scoccaThe other thing in the British usage is that not only are the singular or plural team NAMES treated as plural ("The Heat are battling...") but the TOWNS, as used to refer to the teams, are treated the same way ("Miami are battling...", or "Rochester are playing the Durham Bulls tonight").
Next up
Tue, 07/08/2008 - 19:02 — ericf123058Now if AP can just decide that a "director of athletics," if you turn the title around, is an "athletics director." I know, it makes too much sense.
If you see Spike Lee playing basketball, you can call him an "athletic director."
Is the secretary of veterans affairs actually the "veteran affair secretary"?
Plural teams and bands...
Sun, 07/06/2008 - 23:07 — rabid1The Beatles were the best band ever... wasn't they?
collective teams
Sun, 07/06/2008 - 19:47 — Phil (not verified)For US sports teams, it has long felt natural to use a plural verb because most US team names are plural nouns (e.g., New Jersey Nets, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Hurricanes). Singular noun team names (e.g., Miami Heat) are less frequent, and I have some sympathy for sportscasters or writers who have struggled to pick singular or plural for these teams.
In the UK, singular noun team names are more common (e.g., Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea).
The BBC uses the plural verb rule (like the new AP rule), which has always sounded a little funny to me ("the Arsenal are undefeated in league play so far this year...."). I don't argue against the logic. But it still sounds funny to me.
If the AP rule is going to stick in the US, I recommend that all the sports leagues recommend that all teams be given plural names :-)