Ahoy, people, I need your GRAMMAR help (English is my fourth language, you see). So please be as [grammar] Nazi as you can, I really need that 😆
At the link from today's post, https://x22report.com/omnipresident-part-3/ I see “elections until now has been” but I'd write “have been”. What I've learned, is “singular 3rd person > has, all others/plural > have”. What am I missing? Some exception, or developing and changing tradition?
Countries/national states mentioned are often referred to as 'she' but the verb goes plural -- I take it they are either 'it' as inanimate themselves or 'they' as all-the-people-they-enclose. Some 'motherland' connection, …?
I sometimes see sentences where 'be' is missing to my eye. (Sorry, can not find an example among latest posts right now). Again: as a rule of thumb, words and expressions shorten with time: syllables in words and words without which thought remains understandable, just drop off. Am I observing this process, or just unkempt postings?
The countries/national states issue regarding third person singular or plural for collective nouns (nouns that describe a group of people or objects) is actually subject to interpretation. In the UK they are taught to use the plural verb form; in the U.S, the collective noun is treated as singular.
Many rules lie this change with time and usage. Often, the fun of knowing rules is strategically breaking them. English is notorious for constantly changing itself.