Comments on: Copy-Editing Corner: Are Bands “It”s or “They”s?

By: Nick Baily

Nick Baily — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:21:03 +0000

Hey that guy must have a problem with drinking. I was at the bar seven days in a row and he was there EVERY time.

;-)

By: Glen

Glen — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:51:58 +0000

Wow. You sure have alot of time on your hands, don't you?

By: Nick Baily

Nick Baily — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:10:31 +0000

Oh dammit you're right. Well then how about "A Fiery Furnaces show is one of the most unique experiences..." ah never mind. There's always a way to do it though pretty much. Sometimes more gracefully than others.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:29:54 +0000

Your Fiery Furnaces example still wouldn't work. "Fiery Furnaces deliver..." doesn't make sense if the band is considered singular. You'd have to change it to "Fiery Furnaces delivers..." which is painful for me to type, let alone read.

By: Nick Baily

Nick Baily — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:26:18 +0000

Well, to continue the geek out even further. How about the idea of sidestepping the issue wherever possible. It can't be totally avoided always at all times, but very often it can. So for example: “Widespread Panic are opening for the Allman Brothers Band on Oct. 6 at Merriweather Post Pavilion.” Becomes: “Widespread Panic will be opening for the Allman Brothers Band on Oct. 6 at Merriweather Post Pavilion.” And couldn't... "PARTICK Thistle have found a unique way of topping last season’s headline-grabbing pink kit" ...be this instead: PARTICK Thistle found a unique way of topping last season’s headline-grabbing pink kit" And since you mention the Fiery Furnaces, a quick google finds this sentence in one of their press releases: "The Fiery Furnaces are one of the most unique experiences in live music." There's that problem again. But instead of "The Fiery Furnaces is one of..." can't you just do something like "The Fiery Furnaces deliver one of the most unique experiences..." instead? [geek note, there's no such thing as "most unique" that's a pet peeve. Unique is a synonym for "one of a kind" so it's an absolute term, not one of degree. But we know what you mean] And googling for PR from the other artist mentioned finds this PR: "Warner Music Canada/El Music Group recording artist Collective Soul is set to hit the road this spring on a Canadian headlining tour..." Which would have been just fine as: "Warner Music Canada/El Music Group recording artist Collective Soul will hit the road this spring on a Canadian headlining tour..." ...and so on. I could keep going. But why try to split hairs when there's almost always a wide open alternate option staring you in the face. $.02

By: different anne

different anne — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:58:56 +0000

the british also drive on the wrong side of the road and put corn on pizza.

By: huh?

huh? — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:54:06 +0000

Congratulations, Mr. Gacy!

By: anne

anne — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:23:33 +0000

Why not do as the english do? They consider collective nouns plural, as in "The firm are pleased to announce the addition of Wayne H.Gacy, esq."

It works for me.

By: Greg O. Weatherford

Greg O. Weatherford — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:18:16 +0000

In his book "Lapsing Into a Comma," WashPo copyeditor Bill Walsh decrees that a band is a singular unit and should be approached as such ... EXCEPT when the plurality of a band name causes noun-verb disagreement that offends the ear. For example, "The Beatles is great" sounds like a crack addict talking. Therefore, Walsh says, the best approach would be to say "The Beatles are great" or "The band is great." Singular band names take singular verbs at all times: For example, "The Who is great," a statement that is indisputable on every level.