[HPforGrownups] Grammar question

[Amanda Lewanski]

No: HPFGUIDX 10130

Simon wrote:

> British:  "Slytherin are on the offensive"
> American: "the Slytherins are on the offensive"
>
> Maybe Scholastic has done a service by "correcting" the original version for
> American kids. Would any teachers (or students) care to comment?"
>
> I am neither (well not an student reading English at least) but wish to
> comment. I could not find the quote, but would guess that it is part of the
> commentary from Lee (I am assuming this in my reply - if incorrect it ruins
> my point slightly). If it is commentary, then as it is what Lee is saying it
> is perfectly correct. The grammar may not in itself be correct, but that
> phrase is typical of sports commentary in the UK.

The grammar is correct, so far as I understand it. British English treats
collective nouns--like sheep, council, assembly, you know, words that are
themselves singular but which refer to multiple members--as plurals for the
purposes of subject-verb agreement, and American English treats them as
singulars.

An example I could think of was from Watership Down, which had the British usage
in the sentence, "The council were merciful." This is correct grammar, but
sounds odd to American ears, where it would be "The council was merciful."

--Amanda