tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post114184679897635181..comments2023-11-10T16:19:46.880-05:00Comments on Blogslot: A Continuing _____Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post-1147122203708440132006-05-08T17:03:00.000-04:002006-05-08T17:03:00.000-04:00Bill:What if it's the fact that it's a series of e...Bill:<BR/><BR/>What if it's the fact that it's a <B>series</B> of explosions, rather than an isolated incident, that's rocking the city?Dr. Zoomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14716460586465658087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post-1141939502856963672006-03-09T16:25:00.000-05:002006-03-09T16:25:00.000-05:00I had some trouble with your second example until ...I had some trouble with your second example until I tried replacing the word "series" with "lot" and "bunch." <BR/><BR/>I'm a currently a computer science student, but I'm considering changing my major to journalism. Your blog is an interesting read for a budding grammarian!Tyler Gouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10146874696175351851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post-1141924521049464382006-03-09T12:15:00.000-05:002006-03-09T12:15:00.000-05:00Not a rude response, Sir, only gently admonishing....Not a rude response, Sir, only gently admonishing. In my post-coffee state, I recognize that I wrote too soon and should have come back later and simply appreciated the point of the entry and its delivery as I do now.Lauren Swartzmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00856614614697492643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post-1141923814822835732006-03-09T12:03:00.000-05:002006-03-09T12:03:00.000-05:00Well put, TT. Thanks.Well put, TT. Thanks.Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01512881095588291721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post-1141923700301906812006-03-09T12:01:00.000-05:002006-03-09T12:01:00.000-05:00I agree with your rulings on these sentences. Here...I agree with your rulings on these sentences. Here's a slightly different angle on how to think about this: In your first example, "series" refers to something planned and executed as a unit, so it's intuitive to think of it as singular. In the second, it refers to a sequence of possibly unrelated events, so plural makes more sense.tongue-tiedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10008961131057359669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post-1141919001657184982006-03-09T10:43:00.000-05:002006-03-09T10:43:00.000-05:00This will be its own entry at some point: Always a...This will be its own entry at some point: Always assume that I'm dealing with what I'm dealing with, not looking to rewrite the example sentence I pulled out of my behind. Sorry to be rude, but it gets silly when I'm trying to debate the fine points of, say, "black" vs. "African-American" and the solutions are always "But why are so obsessed with race anyway?" and "Better to be specific, as in 'His great-great-grandfather was from Lagos, which was then the capital of Nigeria.'"Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01512881095588291721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7122549.post-1141901765101020552006-03-09T05:56:00.000-05:002006-03-09T05:56:00.000-05:00When in doubtLeave it outSo long as the sentenceha...When in doubt<BR/>Leave it out<BR/>So long as the sentence<BR/>has the same clout<BR/><BR/>"A series of explosions rocked the city in the last week"<BR/><BR/>I know the luxury of omission isn't always there. The first example wouldn't work at all without the is or are decision being made. But sometimes, even in a moment of pre-coffee haze (like now), a simpler alternative can be found.Lauren Swartzmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00856614614697492643noreply@blogger.com