Sandeep Krishnamurthy, {sandeep} [at] {u} [dot] {washington} [dot] {edu}, http://faculty.washington.edu/sandeep, http://sandeepworld.blogspot.com". Click.
The example given by the write up:
A Colleague Observes- I have always found it interesting that the message we receive after the spelling and grammar are checked reads: “The spelling and grammar check is complete”. To me these are two different types of checking and in my opinion the message should read "the spelling and grammar checks are complete." [Thanks, Neosha Mackey]
I rarely use the MS word spelling and grammar check. I do not wish to go deeply into that now. I wish to discuss only the above example.
The error under discussion : Subject-verb Agreement.
Grammar point in question : Whether the phrase 'The spelling and grammar check' used as subject in the sentence, is singular or plural. If it is singular, the singular verb 'is' will be correct and the message of the MS word will be correct. If 'spelling' and 'grammar checks' are two separate nouns, the correction shown above (...are correct) will be right.
We can write the sentence in three ways:
1. The spelling and the grammar checks are complete. (Here use of 'the' separates the two nouns and plurality becomes clear. In the correction shown above, the definite article is missing before 'grammar'.
2. The spelling check and the grammar check are complete. (Seems to be clearer than the sentence 1 above.
3. The message of the MS Word can be taken as intending a singular subject, because there is no definite article before 'grammar'.
- The spelling and grammar check
Use of hyphens, improves clarity; but increases clumsiness.
E.g. : The spelling-and-grammar-check is complete.
I request my readers to correct me if I am wrong. I also invite alternatives.
I dealt with a similar grammatical error, in a Multiple Choice Questions in English Grammar Test #194, question No.1938 posted on Feb. 16, 2008. If interested, pl. Click.
