Singular subjects require singular verbs and plural subjects require plural verbs… except when they don’t.
Tag Archives: dunglish
Using “a” and “an”
Whether to use “a” or “an” depends on if a vowel follows. But remember: that’s determined by the spoken sound, not the alphabetical letter.
Sustainability and durability
The word “duurzaam” covers two different meanings in Dutch (eco-friendly and long-lasting), so you can’t use “sustainable” as a catch-all translation.
The Netherlands
Um… surely not. The Dutch don’t make mistakes when referring to their own country, do they? It turns out to be a surprisingly tricky one.
A dull-as-ditchwater subject
A dull-as-ditchwater subject, but a not-to-be-missed topic: hyphenation of compound adjectives before nouns.
Data
A singular noun. Yes, the origin of the word is the Latin plural of datum, but that’s not the point. Languages are dynamic and changing; if you don’t go with the flow, it can sound hypercorrect.
In a manner, way or fashion
If you want to write English in an efficient manner, in a smart way and in a natural fashion, then don’t forget your adverbs. Do it efficiently, smartly and naturally.
Lowercase acronyms
English always writes its acronyms in capitals, with just a few exceptions that have escaped into the wild as normal words (such as radar, laser, snafu and scuba).
Adequate
Would you want to be operated on by a surgeon whose skills are adequate? Or would you rather have one who’s good?
Consistency: -ize or -ise
American spelling uses -ize; British spelling uses either -ize or -ise and may vary from one publication to the next. But be consistent!
Advanced Dunglish 