Calling all Grammar Badgers
I'm getting miffed at people writing 'the staff is friendly' rather than 'the staff are friendly'.

Which is correct? I say 'the staff are' as staff is a plural.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Sat 13 Feb 2010, 22:03, 6 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Trousers - are it singular or is they plural?
'The staff ' is a singular entity. However, it is accepted usage to refer to 'it' as one would refer to any group of people - in the plural. There would be a few occasions when it would be necessary to refer to 'the staff' as a singular item. Think of the occasions when you might refer to 'the team' or 'the crew' and they would apply.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Sat 13 Feb 2010, 22:19, Reply)

But you would say "the team are getting the work done" or "the crew are blagging the jewellery store"
no "is" there either.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Sat 13 Feb 2010, 23:04, Reply)

No because the "team" isn't plural. You could say the teams are getting the work done....
or the internet geeks are getting nothing done.


(It's pretty bad when an american corrects someone's english).

Language does change. "Data is" is considered acceptable although "data are" is preferable.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Sun 14 Feb 2010, 1:05, Reply)

Strictly, it should be "is"
But words like "staff" do occupy a slightly grey area - not least because to talk about staff seems to presuppose more than one person: after all, if I worked for myself and alone, it would'n't really seem right to talk about the staff of Enzyme Industries.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Sun 14 Feb 2010, 10:39, Reply)

I would love to work for this company
The turkish boys getting me my coffee each day would make it worthwhile alone.
(Bazongaloid, Sun 14 Feb 2010, 10:54, Reply)

it's ``is''
The staff is friendly. The staff members are friendly. That's grammatically correct. In the U.K., however, you guys also refer to socc..., er, football teams, as a plural entity. ``England are a strong team.'' Which is just fucking silly. A team is a single entity. As is a staff.
/end rant
(tuqueboy has been in a medically -induced coma since, Sun 14 Feb 2010, 23:37, Reply)