Collective nouns “may be treated either as singular or plural, but not as both singular and plural in the same… Read more »
Posts By: Pam Nelson
Collective wisdom
Collective nouns have given me fits over the years. Every time I think I finally have the subject-verb agreement problem… Read more »
Up in the ivory tower
Our story today about UNC system president Erskine Bowles referred to the “ivory tower.” I also ran across a reference… Read more »
A day for presidents
So is the holiday that we celebrate on the third Monday in February this? Or this? Or this? My desk… Read more »
Misplaced phrases, again
A reader points out a recent brief that has several problems, including this sentence: With the help of a fellow… Read more »
Apt metaphor
The word “netherworld” in a headline written by a colleague has interesting connotations. The word means the land of the… Read more »
You are a friend of mine
An editor asked me which of these constructions is correct: a friend of John’s or a friend of John. It… Read more »
Live from behind the scenes
As a copy editor, I do most of my work behind the scenes. I like it that way. If I… Read more »
Cliches and the writers who love them
As a headline writer, I rely on twisting cliches. Some readers probably think we headline writers fall back on word… Read more »
An odd word order
A colleague encountered a sentence in a direct quote that puzzled him. Here is the sentence: “Tuition people understand because… Read more »