SerenityMovie.net

[iltflinthill]

Post your grammar questions for fan fiction here!

Here's my current one:
I know that "The Alliance" is a singular word, but as we also know that our BDH's don't always have the best grammar, one wouldn't necessarily want to be a stickler for subject-verb agreement when writing a dialogue for the BDHs. So, when speaking, do you think that our BDH's would consider "The Alliance" to be a single entity, therefore a singular noun, or would they be thinking of "The Alliance" as a bunch of different people and therefore plural?

I'm fairly certain that Shepherd Book, Inara, and Simon would use it in the singular form, but what about the rest of the crew? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

[gobluegirl]

Well...your rationale seems sound. I'm a bit rusty on my subject-verb agreement though.

I'd figure that most people use Alliance as a plural rather than a singular, perhaps, even, the more "proper" of the crew (eg Simon, Inara, etc).

Off the top of my head, Simon uses "they" to refer to the Academy where River was tortured, and the Operative refers to Parliment as "they" as a plural entity at the very end of Serenity.

It could also depend on exactly what context a character is speaking about The Alliance. "The Alliance is right on our tail," referring to specific people, versus "The Alliance are inflexible, domineering hwoon dahns," referring to the bureacracy as a whole.

I wouldn't worry too much about the subject verb agreement at this point. Just be consistent with whatever you decide and do what sounds the best to your ear.


--gbg
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Tales From The 'Verse Podcast - Stories You Won't Hear on the Cortex.

www.talesfromtheverse.com

[Thad]

Just called them "Big Damned Purple Bellies" and be done with it.
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Cheers,
Thad

"I reject your reality, and substitute my own." - Adam Savage, Mythbuster

[BrownCoat_Tabz]

interesting question.... grammar hurts my head... hence why I need betas.
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Tabz, Slayer of the Podcasts.

[Cynewulf the Saxon]

Most people tend to singularize the plural, rather than pluralize the singular, if that makes sense. They would more likely end up with a "purplebellies is" type of disagreement than an "Alliance are" type of one. I heard one just this morning on the radio where the person, an international relations professor, said in a rhetorical question, "Is the different cultures . . . "
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Official forum Purplebelly
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Wyrd oft nereth unfaegne eorl, thonne his ellen deah.

[Companion Kate]

[laoshi]

Alliance is a collective noun isn't it? I think a British based Verse would be more fun. Whose to say the Verse isn't really run by Brits, after all the Parliament are in charge not Congress. Guess we put those bally colonials back in their place.
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Alliance, n. In international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.

[iltflinthill]

Thanks for the help guys, I've just started my student teaching so I haven't been able to work on my stories much. . .but I truly appreciate the help. (Thanks for helping me to get that much closer to finishing them!)

[gobluegirl]

I hope you have some diversions to keep you sane with your student teaching...best of luck to you. Hang in there.

What subject and grade level? I ask because both my husband and I trained to be teachers. I was English, he was Science. I chose not to pursue teaching, but he's coming up on his 6th year of teaching and still enjoying it most days.

--gbg
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Tales From The 'Verse Podcast - Stories You Won't Hear on the Cortex.

www.talesfromtheverse.com

[FightingCorsair]

I would think it would be similar to the word "fish".

as in

All the fish in the sea

Fish are tasty

That big damn fish is gonna eat me.
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"Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry and I'm armed."

[Companion Kate]

Alas not. "Alliance" is a collective noun, subject to rules of collective nouns (which differ from country to country). "Fish" is a common noun which happens to have a plural form identical to its singular form. Also, the plural of "alliance" is "alliances".

(...although it's actually far more interesting than that, because "fish" can also take the plural form "fishes" when refering to multiple species, as in "The fishes of the Fraser River include salmon and sturgeon")

But definitely not the same grammatical beast as "Alliance".

I liked the Big Damn Fish though.
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[FightingCorsair]

So much for my theory that everyone who posts on blogs, boards and other such things have bad grammar.
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"Okay, I'm lost, I'm angry and I'm armed."

[iltflinthill]

I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I've been able to work on my stories or listen to Tales from the verse. . .
But I'm getting back on the wagon, returning to the verse. Having full adult responsabilities sure takes it's toll. . .I'm teaching in the elementary school now. They're (my students) all too obsessed with Hannah Montana to appreciate Firefly

[ironbandit]

Not sure how this will fit in, but "Alliance" is the proper use of the collective noun. Sure, THE Alliance this, and a THE Alliance that, but this may be yet another Alliance trap.