Re: 3rd person singular neutral X 3rd person plural ?
2008/5/15 martin f krafft <madduck@debian.org>:
> also sprach Graham Cobb <g+debian@cobb.uk.net> [2008.05.15.1140 +0100]:
>> Debian have elected a new leader. [Subject is plural]
>>
>> In fact, I would have no trouble saying "The Debian project is 10 years old
>> and they have elected a new leader".
>
I would prefer to say 'The Debian project is ten years old, and its
members have just elected anew leader.
I'd say Debian (the project) should be singular. Debian developers are plural.
Corporations are singular in law generally too I think, so they might
as well be in language.
Debian Developers write code, the Debian Project doesn't.
Debian Developers vote, Debian (project) Announces something (provided
it is a suitably authorised person to make the announcement)
Specific Debian Developer X (or X and Y plurally) might announce
something too, like that they are retiring or something, but that's
not the project.
> Debian has never elected a leader, its project members have. That's
> the problem.
and its project members are certainly not ten years old.
-AA.
--
Ambrose Andrews
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