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?
I don’t believe this is true when there is a question mark or exclamation point preceding.
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.
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.
The word “amn’t” is occasionally heard spoken in Ireland, but I don’t believe it’s considered “correct” when written, are it?
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?**
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? )
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.
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.
Correct in Britain or America? In Britain: The majority of football teams are receiving new kits.
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”.
I still think that is is correct, there Aro.
Maybe I’ve been watching too much American telly!
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!
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?”**