The United States is/are

[Paul Frank]

It is often said that the United States went from being a plural to a
singular noun during or straight after the Civil War. An American history
professor I know tells me that this is a fact. Merriam Webster's Dictionary
of English Usage says that the noun went from singular to plural around the
turn of the twentieth century, except in Britain where the United States is
still a plural noun. Has anyone looked into this question?

Cheers,
Paul
________________________________________
Paul Frank
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