tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360486056983018949.post3913737182448487034..comments2024-01-31T09:10:18.662-07:00Comments on "One Poor Correspondent": PluralityTom Nawrockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03766845038505392731noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7360486056983018949.post-36888938532662387462008-09-14T14:47:00.000-06:002008-09-14T14:47:00.000-06:00The way I learned it is that there's a class of co...The way I learned it is that there's a class of collective nouns that can be either plural or singular, depending on the context and the meaning.<BR/><BR/>Saying "The Who is still one of the highest-grossing touring acts" emphasizes their collective endeavor and is appropriately singular. Saying "The Who are taking separate limos back to the hotel" emphasizes the individuals who form the band and is appropriately plural.<BR/><BR/>So, if Elvis is using his language precisely (usually a good assumption):<BR/><BR/>The first line emphasizes the army as a whole, settling in as a permanent fact of the culture.<BR/>The second line shifts the focus to the individual soldiers who make up the army, and the choices they're making.Gavinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02576993334350753739noreply@blogger.com