Agreement question

[Lisa O'Brien]

Hey there! Thanks for writing me back! You just made my day when I saw your
message! I had one of those days today  and I am not to thrilled about it. I
think I am going to go pamper myself for awhile. Ok well here are some more
pics of me, I would take the time to attach them, but come to think of
it...I don't really know how to do that.
http://www.hotphotopersonals.com/lisaspage/ Ok well I hope you think I am
still pretty!! Teehee!! Ok well I will check back on here a little later,
and see what we should do from here. Ok well, time for me to make my day
even better. See ya later babe!! xoxo Lisa








>From: Paul Kusinitz <paul.kusinitz at VERIZON.NET>
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Re: Agreement question
>Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 17:32:30 -0400
>
>Get lost "babe."
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Lisa O'Brien
>   To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>   Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 5:29 PM
>   Subject: Re: Agreement question
>
>
>   Hey there! Thanks for writing me back! You just made my day when I saw
>your
>   message! I had one of those days today  and I am not to thrilled about
>it. I
>   think I am going to go pamper myself for awhile. Ok well here are some
>more
>   pics of me, I would take the time to attach them, but come to think of
>   it...I don't really know how to do that.
>   http://www.hotphotopersonals.com/lisaspage/ Ok well I hope you think I
>am
>   still pretty!! Teehee!! Ok well I will check back on here a little
>later,
>   and see what we should do from here. Ok well, time for me to make my day
>   even better. See ya later babe!! xoxo Lisa
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   >From: "Dennis R. Preston" <preston at PILOT.MSU.EDU>
>   >Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>   >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>   >Subject: Re: Agreement question
>   >Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 12:53:25 -0400
>   >
>   >>Of course "the stories the team tell" or "the stories the jury tell"
>   >>are perfectly good English in some varieties, so I'd go for the
>   >>plural sense rather than the 's' business.
>   >
>   >dInIs
>   >
>   >
>   >
>   >>I was asked a question about subject-verb agreement, and it's
>   >>raised some questions for me that I'm not sure how to answer.
>   >>
>   >>The sentence was, "The stories the press tell are shaped not
>   >>by a 'liberal agenda' or a 'right wing conspiracy' but by..."
>   >>This sentence was objected to on the grounds that _press_ is
>   >>singular and thus it should read, "The stories the press tells
>   >>are shaped..."
>   >>
>   >>This objection seems to be correct. However, the original,
>   >>"The stories the press tell are shaped..." is _not_ jarring to
>   >>me, and I'm not sure why. It's not proximity concord with
>   >>_stories,_ because _press_ is directly next to _tell[s]_.
>   >>
>   >>I also don't think it's a case of notional plurality of
>   >>_press._ Certainly one would never write, "The stories Smith
>   >>tell are shaped..." But one would also never, with other
>   >>collective-ish nouns, write "The stories the team tell are
>   >>shaped..." or "The stories the jury tell are shaped..."
>   >>Even though these could also be regarded as notionally plural,
>   >>_tell_ doesn't work here for me.
>   >>
>   >>I'm thinking that it might be the influence of the -s ending
>   >>of _press,_ which, though not a plural ending, might suggest
>   >>plurality enough that "The stories the press tell are shaped..."
>   >>doesn't seem obviously wrong.
>   >>
>   >>Any thoughts?
>   >>
>   >>Jesse Sheidlower
>   >
>   >--
>   >Dennis R. Preston
>   >Professor of Linguistics
>   >Department of Linguistics and Languages
>   >740 Wells Hall A
>   >Michigan State University
>   >East Lansing, MI 48824-1027 USA
>   >Office - (517) 353-0740
>   >Fax - (517) 432-2736
>
>
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