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Ask for help > ´is ´ or ´are ´?
´is ´ or ´are ´?
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*Maria*
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´is ´ or ´are ´?
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Dear colleagues, Which is correct?
The Beatles is a popular band.
The Beatles are a popular band. |
10 Dec 2016
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redcamarocruiser
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It depends on the context. I would say Coldplay is a popular English band formed in the 90s. The Beatles is a popular English band from the 60 ´s. 1,780 resultsfor is. The rolling Stones are a popular band from England. The Beatles are also a popular English band. 4,520 results for are http://forum.wordreference.com/threads/the-beatles-is-the-beatles-are.553835/ may shed some more light. |
10 Dec 2016
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yanogator
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I disagree with Mary. I would not say "The Beatles is...". The forum she links to has a lot of discussion about it. Bruce |
10 Dec 2016
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msantillana
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"Band" is a singular noun, so I think "is" is the correct verb usage. |
10 Dec 2016
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cunliffe
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I know that in theory, you should be able to use either, but ´The Beatles is... ´ sounds strange to my (British) ears, so I am with Bruce. And that ´s usually good company to be in...  |
11 Dec 2016
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almaz
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You would certainly expect to hear "the Beatles are..." in BrEng. In fact, one of the best-known (but unfortunately, apocryphal) stories concerning the band was from the height of their fame in the 60s. Judge: And who are The Beatles? Barrister: I believe they are a popular beat combo, m´lud. It was often cited to show how out of touch the British judiciary was at the time, but as you can see, the barrister´s response supports the more commonly-held plural agreement for collective nouns in British English. Alex
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11 Dec 2016
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Minka
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I somehow feel (and I ´m hoping for comments from native speakers, thanks) that it also depends on the word order. It doesn ´t sound wrong to me if someone says The band (they ´re talking about) is The Beatles. He found a book about her favourite band which is The Beatles. But I would definitely say "The Beatles ARE."
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11 Dec 2016
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ninon100
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How about these guys? are they QUEEN is or QUEEN are? :) |
11 Dec 2016
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yanogator
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@Minka - That isn ´t a matter of word order. In your examples, the subject is "band", rather than "The Beatles". I (in the US) would say "Queen is", never "Queen are", because "queen" is singular, while "the beatles" is plural. Bruce |
11 Dec 2016
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ldeloresmoore
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I think a lot of what will come readily and most natural to a native speaker will depend greatly on the context. The Beatles is a popular British band. -- I am familiar with the group and I know that the reference is to the group, which is singular, because it is one group. So I say "is". The Beatles are going to be signing autographs after the concert tonight. -- Here, I am referring to the group as a means of indicating the individual members, so I use "are" and not "is". But --- all of that aside --- I ´ll offer you the suggestion that my newspaper copy editor husband gave me: When it sounds awkward or you are unsure of the correct way, then find a different correct way to say it. ---- Such as: The most popular British band is The Beatles. --- Band(n) is (v) Beatles (n -- singular in meaning, even though it is plural form) I hope that helps. |
11 Dec 2016
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almaz
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Considering that Queen were a British band, it shouldn´t surprise anyone that the band name is consistently referred to with plural concord on their official website (the FAQ section, for example, has questions like "Do Queen have a fan club?", "What were Queen like in concert?" etc). At the risk of labouring the issue, I could point out that their Wikipedia entry also starts with "Queen are a British rock band...". It really doesn´t matter in British English whether the band name is plural or singular. American English is another matter.* * @Bruce: would The Grateful Dead be considered singular (like Queen) or plural (like The Beatles) in American English? |
12 Dec 2016
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