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?

Sorry, I got this backward. I meant to write that Merriam Webster's
Dictionary
of English Usage says that the noun went from plural to singular around the
turn of the twentieth century.

Cheers,
Paul
________________________________________
Paul Frank
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