Film, Media & TV2 mins ago
Proper Grammar
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Which term is correct! when introducing two people, The next couple is or the next couple are!
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I thought "cattle" was an irregular plural of cows, as in you couldn't say "a cattle of cows".
But otherwise I agree with Jackdaw, and it depends on context. Easier for me I think to demonstrate with a different word with the same properties: compare "The team is second in the league" v. "The team are wearing red shirts". In the first case, the "team" is one collective unit (as opposed to other teams), but in the second case, the "team" is really just eleven players, so should be seen in a plural sense.
But otherwise I agree with Jackdaw, and it depends on context. Easier for me I think to demonstrate with a different word with the same properties: compare "The team is second in the league" v. "The team are wearing red shirts". In the first case, the "team" is one collective unit (as opposed to other teams), but in the second case, the "team" is really just eleven players, so should be seen in a plural sense.
Okay, the next couple, who is taking off its coats now, are Jack and Jill.
I agree that IS is usually better for such introductions but I don't agree that it always has to be IS just because couple is a singular noun. i believe ARE is acceptable when the meaning is perfectly understood and in some cases sounds more natural. .
I agree that IS is usually better for such introductions but I don't agree that it always has to be IS just because couple is a singular noun. i believe ARE is acceptable when the meaning is perfectly understood and in some cases sounds more natural. .
///LOL! If you mean this: https:/
er, yes it is. It comes directly from a large book entitled The New Oxford Dictionary of English and published by the OUP (and sitting on my shelf).
If you insist on considering only definitions personally approved by James Murray, you'll see that one of them in the original OED says "couple" is a synonym for "two".
er, yes it is. It comes directly from a large book entitled The New Oxford Dictionary of English and published by the OUP (and sitting on my shelf).
If you insist on considering only definitions personally approved by James Murray, you'll see that one of them in the original OED says "couple" is a synonym for "two".
