# Grammar Nazis, is this correct usage **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427 "2004-01-08T15:13:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/21 "2004-01-09T09:28:42Z")
> [@](#): > > “Aren’t I mean?” is equivalent to “Are not I mean?” , isn’t it? And that sounds just plain odd. I understand the awkwardness of the situation, but all good _American_ commas go within quotation marks. Are you trying to take advantage of being in Kyoto? ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/22 "2004-01-09T10:41:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > **I understand the awkwardness of the situation, but all good _American_ commas go within quotation marks.** I don’t believe this is true when there is a question mark or exclamation point preceding. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/23 "2004-01-09T10:46:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aro \* > \*\*Total thread Hijack for another grammar question: > > A majority of students is expected to… > > or > > A majority of students are expected to… \*\* I’d go with **is** , so that the verb agrees with the singular noun _majority_, rather than with the plural noun _students_. But, if you want to be really pedantic, how can you have **a** majority? Can you have more than one majority on any issue? No, so majority takes the definite article in the context you have given there. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/24 "2004-01-09T10:51:38Z")
I did think ‘is’ was the correct usage, but ‘are’ would certainly be used more in general speech and does seem more natural to me when reading the sentence. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/25 "2004-01-09T10:54:17Z")
The word “amn’t” is occasionally heard spoken in Ireland, but I don’t believe it’s considered “correct” when written, are it? ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/26 "2004-01-09T11:02:48Z")
Fer pete sake! If you are going to do it, do it right! \*\*Grammer Nazis, is this correct usage? Today I got an email, one line of which read; “Aren’t I mean?” I have seen this sort of usage before, but for some reason today it struck me as odd. I mean, “Aren’t I mean” is equivalent to “Are not I mean”, isn’t it? And that sounds just plainly odd. Is “Aren’t I mean” grammatically correct?\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/27 "2004-01-09T11:08:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*The word “amn’t” is occasionally heard spoken in Ireland, but I don’t believe it’s considered “correct” when written, are it? \*\* That it be. I’d be one of those guity of using it on occasion. I am, amn’t I, though? ( pronounced as _Amped-Tin-Ah, Low?_ ) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/28 "2004-01-09T13:06:58Z")
In Britain, it is the Queen’s English to say, “A majority of students **are** expected to…”, just as it is BBC proper to say, “The audience **are** applauding.” Other examples: The government **have** not announced a new policy. The team **are** playing in the test matches next week. American English has the concept of a collective noun taking a singular verb. ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/29 "2004-01-09T14:08:58Z")
How does it work if the subject consists of two words? The majority of football teams is receiving new kits. Or… The majority of football teams are receiving new kits. The latter certainly seems correct, the former wrong, even if it follws the same rules as before. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/30 "2004-01-09T15:01:26Z")
Correct in Britain or America? In Britain: The majority of football teams are receiving new kits. ---
**Author:** ![hyjyljyj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@hyjyljyj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyjyljyj)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/31 "2004-01-09T15:02:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Futile Gesture \* > \*\*Fer pete sake! If you are going to do it, do it right! > > \*\*Grammer Nazis, is this correct usage? > > Today I got an email, one line of which read; > > “Aren’t I mean?”?\*\* \*\* For all the exaspirated frustration evident in the opening line about “doing it RIGHT”, what’s with the flippin’ semicolon after the word “read”? It oughta be a full colon, fer Billy Bob’s sake. Those unfamiliar with semicolon usage (lots of us) may take advantage of numerous resources which explain it throughly. I recommend the AP Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/32 "2004-01-09T15:03:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hyjyljyj \* > \*\*For all the exaspirated frustration evident in the opening line about “doing it RIGHT”, what’s with the flippin’ semicolon after the word “read”? It oughta be a full colon, fer Billy Bob’s sake. > > Those unfamiliar with semicolon usage (lots of us) may take advantage of numerous resources which explain it throughly. I recommend the AP Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style. \*\* I think he was joking. Note also the incorrect usage of “grammer” and “pete”. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/33 "2004-01-09T15:07:01Z")
I still think that _is_ is correct, there **Aro**. Maybe I’ve been watching too much American telly! ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/34 "2004-01-09T15:37:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*I think he was joking. Note also the incorrect usage of “grammer” and “pete”. \*\* Actually the “Grammer” was a full blown Guadere’s. There had to be one in there somewhere, didn’t their? :smack: The rest I meant. Including using “right” when “correctly” would have been right. I resisted the temptation to put “your” in there as too obvious. 🙂 Yes, that one was deliberate too! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2004, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427/35 "2004-01-09T15:41:55Z")
Well in that case, the semicolon was incorrect. I’ll try (God, I am so setting myself up for a fall, aren’t I [DYSWIDT?]?): \*\*For Pete’s sake! If you are going to do it, do it right! Grammar Nazis, is this correct usage? Today I got an email, one line of which read: “Aren’t I mean?”\*\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-nazis-is-this-correct-usage/223427.md?page=1)