OT - Fantastic web-site, diabolical use of the English language ;)

[Calciumee]

I think the poster might be from across the pond. In British English, that sentence would be "New England are in Atlanta." But in American English, it's "New England is in Atlanta." In American English, though, it would be "The Patriots are in Atlanta."

Either way works, because 'New England' is a singular term, and if someone was to think it meant the whole of New England on a Patriots website; then I am amazed they can type! If it was New England Patriots, it would be 'are'.

And 'are' does sound better slightly better

 

[BelichickFan]

Either way is OK. I was born in England and it irritates me to no end when I see something like New England are XXX (which is how the English write and say it) as opposed to New England is XXX. As New England is a singular noon, "is" is fine but as it represents a plural group, "are" is fine too.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Kontra, perchance he was referring to the literacy rate differential between North & South. Arkansas is last in literacy and that's down Dixie way.
And I still can't figure why there's never any characters on prime time American t.v. who have a southern accent. There was one on Melrose Place in the early 90's, but they wrote her outta the story after a month. A large part of the country's population speaks like that, yet where are they on a national scale?
And I spent 3 years down in Raleigh, N.C. at N.C. State and had a girlfriend from Valdosta, Georgia. Once you travel off of college campuses down there, the majority of The American Southeast is a culturally-challenged, vapid wasteland. I couldn't run back up across the Mason-Dixon Line fast enough.
Kontra, people in The South tend to know less about the rest of the world which lies outside their particular Southern County line, than people in the Northeast do. They're just not very worldly when compared to inhabitants of certain other parts of the country. Demographically, they travel less too.

I'd be careful there. You could be describing almost any poor, rural area in the country, including some not all that far from Massachusetts.

As for the South, yes, it is a real cultural and literary wasteland, or as you would put it, using the bad grammar of your third sentence: "there's never any writers or artists from the south." (If you are going to comment on "literacy" you should be properly "literate" yourself.)

Of course, for that to be true, you would have to ignore: William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, William Styron, Flannery O'Connor, James ****ey, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Alice Walker, Robert Penn Warren, John Grisham, Margaret Mitchell, Harper Lee, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, James Brown, Otis Redding, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Scott Joplin, Wayland Jennings and Johnny Cash, to name a few. And, don't forget Rhythm and Blues, Bluegrass and Jazz while you're at it; these distinctly American musical genres all owe their origins or the majority of their development to the south.

 

[lillestroom]

I think the poster might be from across the pond. In British English, that sentence would be "New England are in Atlanta." But in American English, it's "New England is in Atlanta." In American English, though, it would be "The Patriots are in Atlanta."

We have a winner.

And no... you cant say, New England is in Atlanta.

Well... you can but you look like a plank if you do so, because its wrong on so many levels.

 

[Tunescribe]

Either way is OK. I was born in England and it irritates me to no end when I see something like New England are XXX (which is how the English write and say it) as opposed to New England is XXX. As New England is a singular noon, "is" is fine but as it represents a plural group, "are" is fine too.

I hate it when a rock band, for instance, is referred to as "are" doing something. A band is a single entity. Silly Brits.

 

[BelichickFan]

I hate it when a rock band, for instance, is referred to as "are" doing something. A band is a single entity. Silly Brits.

It's constant in English papers. Both are grammatically correct but I think the British way sounds ridiculous.

lillestroom you're posting to a bunch of Americans, we don't say things like "looks like a plank" (WTF is that) or "come season time".

Post on an English board or don't criticize American English.

 

[BradyFTW!]

We have a winner.

And no... you cant say, New England is in Atlanta.

Well... you can but you look like a plank if you do so, because its wrong on so many levels.

Sure you can. The New England Patriots is a singular noun that refers to a group, much like the word "family", or "band", or "organization".

Substitute in "the team" for New England. We wouldn't say "the team are in Atlanta", and that's exactly what New England is referring to. Either way, you're talking about an American site, about an American team, in an American region, so American rules apply

 

[Off The Grid]

Damn, I've been subjected to the typo police.

How long is my sentence going to be for, ociffer?

Well, that depends on whether or not it's a run-on sentence!!

:singing: Yowza, Yowza, Yowza!! :singing:

 

[Patjew]

You folks is idiots.

 

[Joker]

heh...where's Norm Crosby when you need him...

 

[shmessy]

Sure you can. The New England Patriots is a singular noun that refers to a group, much like the word "family", or "band", or "organization".

Substitute in "the team" for New England. We wouldn't say "the team are in Atlanta", and that's exactly what New England is referring to.

Precisely.

The subject is the TEAM.

My designation as a former linguist for the U.S. Department of Defense trumps Lillestroom's British-ness.

P.S. I don't care if the above makes me a "plank", but making such an incorrect grammatical argument makes Lillestroom a "wanker".

 

[Joker]

My designation as a former linguist for the U.S. Department of Defense trumps Lillestroom's British-ness.

don't tell me...let me guess...you were a cunning ling.....ah...forget it...:ban?:

 

[Triumph]

I'd be careful there. You could be describing almost any poor, rural area in the country, including some not all that far from Massachusetts.

As for the South, yes, it is a real cultural and literary wasteland, or as you would put it, using the bad grammar of your third sentence: "there's never any writers or artists from the south." (If you are going to comment on "literacy" you should be properly "literate" yourself.)

Of course, for that to be true, you would have to ignore: William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, William Styron, Flannery O'Connor, James ****ey, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Alice Walker, Robert Penn Warren, John Grisham, Margaret Mitchell, Harper Lee, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, James Brown, Otis Redding, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Scott Joplin, Wayland Jennings and Johnny Cash, to name a few. And, don't forget Rhythm and Blues, Bluegrass and Jazz while you're at it; these distinctly American musical genres all owe their origins or the majority of their development to the south.

Hunter Thompson.

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is an all time classic.

 

[shmessy]

My designation as a former linguist for the U.S. Department of Defense trumps Lillestroom's British-ness.

don't tell me...let me guess...you were a cunning ling.....ah...forget it...:ban?:

Yes. We proudly called ourselves that whenever we could.

We had an inter-agency softball team and that was our name.

 

[ausbacker]

Who cares?

 

[PATSNUTme]

 

[lillestroom]

Sure you can. The New England Patriots is a singular noun that refers to a group, much like the word "family", or "band", or "organization".

Substitute in "the team" for New England. We wouldn't say "the team are in Atlanta", and that's exactly what New England is referring to. Either way, you're talking about an American site, about an American team, in an American region, so American rules apply

But the Patriots (even thou they are a team) are plural rather than singular.

Which means that "are" must be used rather than "is"

-----------

Its happened again

"Brady no longer great in the play-offs"

Which is in itself, a question.

Which means we need an "Is" to begin the sentence with

 

[patchick]

But the Patriots (even thou they are a team) are plural rather than singular.

Which means that "are" must be used rather than "is"

Welcome to America. Absolutely nobody would say "The Patriots is in Atlanta." But for collective nouns in singular form Americans not only can, but should go with "is."

The singular isn't even as optional as some in this thread have suggested. A plural verb is technically grammatical, but only used in cases that clearly describe action by the group members as individuals, rather than a collective: "the team are squabbling among themselves over the rookie haircuts." Even in those situations, some American experts advise recasting the sentence to avoid the awkwardness of the seeming subject-verb disagreement. So "New England are in Atlanta" isn't a real option in American English.

"Brady no longer great in the play-offs"

Which is in itself, a question.

Which means we need an "Is" to begin the sentence with

Oh, and headlines have a grammar entirely unto themselves in which articles and auxiliary verbs are not required.

 

[Triumph]

But the Patriots (even thou they are a team) are plural rather than singular.

Its though in these parts.

 

[Off The Grid]

Its though in these parts.

Thou art correct.