Patti writes:
Hello, I am writing a paper on sports teams. All sports teams have names that end in S
Ex: Chicago Bears, Detroit Pistons, etc.
(or indicate plural such as SOX)
The exception is the Miami Heat.
Would they be treated as plural similar to their friends with s at the end of their name?
Usage example:
The Detroit Pistons are a hardworking team
The Miami Heat is a hardworking team.
Super question! Collective nouns like team names can cause problems. North Americans and Brits tend to deal with them differently. For example, it's correct to write:
General Motors IS facing a strike by the Canadian Auto Workers, which IS a major union.
The organization's name may end in a plural noun, but the whole name is still singular. (You wouldn't say "Tiger Woods are a great golfer"!)
We tend to say: "The government is grappling with the problem." The Brits would say: "The government ARE grappling with the problem."
And while we North Americans would probably say "The Miami Heat is a hardworking team," I'd be tempted to follow British sportswriting usage, which always says: "Liverpool are a hardworking team, but Manchester are smarter." If nothing else, treating "Heat" as plural would make North American readers pay closer attention!
Recent Comments