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#11
June 13th, 2007, 04:09 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
The original posting referred to "staff" as a (happy) group of people. This
is the meaning where grammatical use might be different. In this particular sense, "staff" belongs to the so-called "group" or "collective" nouns. Michael Swan (Practical English Usage, OUP) gives the following examples of "group nouns": bank the BBC choir class club committee England (the football team) family firm government jury minister orchestra party public school staff team union In US English, singular verbs are normally used with the above words (senses), with the exception of "family" which can be followed by a plural verb. In UK English, both singular and plural verbs can actually be used, depending on whether the group is considered as a group of individuals or as an impersonal entity. Michael Swan gives the following examples of use: My firm are wonderful. They do all they can to help me. My firm was founded in the 18th century. All other senses of "staff" do not belong to the set of "collective nouns" and grammatically behave in the same way in both US and UK English. Note that "staff" meaning "a set of five lines on which music is written" might be treated differently in US and UK English. Sources disagree on the use of "staff/staffs" for a set of musical lines: some say such use belongs exclusively to (modern) US English (UK English using "stave/staves"); other sources say that "staff/staffs", "stave/staves" are used indifferently in both US and UK English; and other sources still say that both can be used, but that UK English has a preference for "stave/staves", US English for "staff/staffs". Take your pick!  It is clear that no automatic grammar checker could ever make appropriate suggestions regarding such murky areas... ------------------------------------------------------------------- On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:31:01 -0500, Suzanne S. Barnhill wrote: How does UK English handle the use of "staff" to mean a walking stick or a musical staff, either of which is decidedly singular? 
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#12
June 13th, 2007, 04:24 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
Suzanne S. Barnhill wrote in
I wasn't asking about the plural but about whether the grammar checker allows singular verbs. Sorry - my mistake. Please ignore my post. -- PeterMcC If you feel that any of the above is incorrect, inappropriate or offensive in any way, please ignore it and accept my apologies.
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#13
June 13th, 2007, 05:09 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
Here's what I see on Word 2007
Staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] The staff are happy. [Correctly flagged] The staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] A staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] What's the issue? "Bill Davy" wrote: In fact, the grammar checker seems to have green twiddlyitis with the following: The staff are happy. "staff are" have twiddles (suggests "staff is" but see below) Staff are happy. "staff are" have twiddles (suggests "Staff is" or "Staffs are" Staff is happy. "Staff" has twiddles (suggests "staffs"). The staff is happy. "Staff" has twiddles (suggests "staffs" but see above). A staff is happy. "A staff" has twiddles (suggests "Staffs") Is it fixable? How? Word 2003 SP2.
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#15
June 13th, 2007, 05:36 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
I copied and pasted your examples into my copy of w07 and got the same
results as you. "Mari Broman Olsen" Mari Broman wrote in message news  Here's what I see on Word 2007 Staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] The staff are happy. [Correctly flagged] The staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] A staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] What's the issue? "Bill Davy" wrote: In fact, the grammar checker seems to have green twiddlyitis with the following: The staff are happy. "staff are" have twiddles (suggests "staff is" but see below) Staff are happy. "staff are" have twiddles (suggests "Staff is" or "Staffs are" Staff is happy. "Staff" has twiddles (suggests "staffs"). The staff is happy. "Staff" has twiddles (suggests "staffs" but see above). A staff is happy. "A staff" has twiddles (suggests "Staffs") Is it fixable? How? Word 2003 SP2.
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#16
June 13th, 2007, 10:06 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
In English UK Word 2007, all those examples are flagged. The transition from
English US to English UK is not correct for either UK or US!" Terry Farrell "Mari Broman Olsen" Mari Broman wrote in message news Here's what I see on Word 2007 Staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] The staff are happy. [Correctly flagged] The staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] A staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] What's the issue? "Bill Davy" wrote:
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#17
June 13th, 2007, 10:10 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
Robert
All reminiscent of the great 'coke is, coke are' debate! Terry "Robert" wrote in message .. . The original posting referred to "staff" as a (happy) group of people. This is the meaning where grammatical use might be different. In this particular sense, "staff" belongs to the so-called "group" or "collective" nouns. Michael Swan (Practical English Usage, OUP) gives the following examples of "group nouns": bank the BBC choir class club committee England (the football team) family firm government jury minister orchestra party public school staff team union In US English, singular verbs are normally used with the above words (senses), with the exception of "family" which can be followed by a plural verb. In UK English, both singular and plural verbs can actually be used, depending on whether the group is considered as a group of individuals or as an impersonal entity. Michael Swan gives the following examples of use: My firm are wonderful. They do all they can to help me. My firm was founded in the 18th century. All other senses of "staff" do not belong to the set of "collective nouns" and grammatically behave in the same way in both US and UK English. Note that "staff" meaning "a set of five lines on which music is written" might be treated differently in US and UK English. Sources disagree on the use of "staff/staffs" for a set of musical lines: some say such use belongs exclusively to (modern) US English (UK English using "stave/staves"); other sources say that "staff/staffs", "stave/staves" are used indifferently in both US and UK English; and other sources still say that both can be used, but that UK English has a preference for "stave/staves", US English for "staff/staffs". Take your pick! It is clear that no automatic grammar checker could ever make appropriate suggestions regarding such murky areas... ------------------------------------------------------------------- On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:31:01 -0500, Suzanne S. Barnhill wrote: How does UK English handle the use of "staff" to mean a walking stick or a musical staff, either of which is decidedly singular?
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#18
June 13th, 2007, 10:27 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
The staff *am* happy ;-)
Tom "Terry Farrell" wrote in message ... | In English UK Word 2007, all those examples are flagged. The transition from | English US to English UK is not correct for either UK or US!" | | Terry Farrell | | "Mari Broman Olsen" Mari Broman wrote in | message news
| Here's what I see on Word 2007| | Staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] | The staff are happy. [Correctly flagged] | The staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] | A staff is happy. [Correctly not flagged] | | What's the issue? | | "Bill Davy" wrote: |
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#19
June 14th, 2007, 10:14 PM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
When I try to use 'viz' without the stop (which is correct), I get a
spelling error and a right-click gets me the suggestion 'wiz'. Terry "Dr Teeth" wrote in message ... On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:38:49 +0100, "Terry Farrell" wrote: Not fixable. It is still present in W2007 too. Slightly OT:- 'viz' is listed as an error, the correction being 'viz.' This is wrong. The 'z' in those abbreviations ending in it is an old-fashioned full stop and is not part if the abbreviation itself which is 'vi', for example. Cheers, Guy ** Stress - the condition brought about by having to ** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights ** out of someone who richly deserves it.
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#20
June 15th, 2007, 06:45 AM
posted to microsoft.public.word.newusers,microsoft.public.word.spelling.grammar
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Not happy with "The staff are happy" OR "The staff is happy"
for English Canada in Word 2003:rejects
The staff is happy but accepts Hundreds of Staff of the company is working through the night for the project. A hundred Staff of the company is working through the night for the project. A hundreds Staff of the company is working through the night for the project. Staff of the company is working through the night for the project. A Staff of hundred the company is working through the night for the project. Word 2003 expects The staffs are happy and reject the "staff is" while ' The staffs are happy" may be debatable, "A Hundreds" definitely should not be accepted Well, I guess we just can't rely on words spelling and grammar checking entirely or else we have laughable to ludicrous writing to show I won't surprised there may be debate among the ms developers what should be accepted with the wide diversity of ethnic, lingual background among them. BTW outlook express does accept "The staff is happy" but then it also accepts The staffs is happy
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