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Another style question

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by greenlantern, Jul 26, 2009.

  1. greenlantern

    greenlantern Guest

    Is it "Neither has" or "Neither have"?
     
  2. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Neither has.
    And that is not a style point, it is basic English.
     
  3. greenlantern

    greenlantern Guest

    That's what I thought it was, but wasn't completely sure. And thanks for the "And that is not a style point, it is basic English." Classy.
     
  4. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Truthful.
     
  5. mustangj17

    mustangj17 Active Member

    Big Gulps eh? Welp, see ya later.
     
  6. mediaguy

    mediaguy Well-Known Member

    spnited, shouldn't that be a semicolon after "point" in basic English? Loosening up a bit there?
     
  7. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    He wasn't being mean. Well, maybe he was, I don't know his intent.

    But the point is that "style" is often incorrectly used as a catch-all for grammatical and semantic questions. Style is a matter of consistently choosing among multiple correct options. When there is only one correct option, it is not a question of style.
     
  8. spnited

    spnited Active Member

    Thanks, Rick. See, we can agree on something.

    And Mediaguy, I hate semicolons. I should have made that two sentences. ;D
     
  9. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    If two people can't disagree on baseball while still being respectful outside it, what has the world come to? :)
     
  10. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    It has been my experience that copy editors tend to be a bit prickly in dispensing advice/information.
     
  11. imjustagirl

    imjustagirl Active Member

    Screw you, Ace. How's that for advice?
     
  12. Fensterblau

    Fensterblau New Member

    To elaborate on spnited's point, when the nouns are singular, neither/nor takes the singular form of the verb. But when the nouns are plural, the verb becomes plural (i.e. Neither the Pirates nor the Nationals have an interest in acquiring Roy Halladay).
     
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