Re: Grammar Question

Thanks, Barb! What you said makes sense.

--
Bambi C.
~~~~~~~~~~


"Barbara Carlson" <bbcarlson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:MMadnewxxebSoWXZnZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Family is singular and "its" is correct. It doesn't sound strange to me.
However, your change of the sentence making "members" the subject would
solve the problem nicely, too. Either would then be correct. "Family" is
one of those "collective noun" things that some modern grammars say can
take pleural verbs. However, I have been watching this because when the
subject came up here before I was shocked to see this was allowed. NO
recent manuscripts (i.e. books, articles, etc.) are using this "collective
noun" thing and I am using good old-fashioned grammar rules--and also some
modern grammar rules as well. However "its" is not a verb, so doesn't
apply, and family is definitely a singular noun.

Barb C.
"Bambi C." <blcc324@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:jhWJg.877$Db4.117118@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The doctor dictates "If the family changes their mind, I would be happy
to perform it." This sounds odd to me.

Family is singular, but has more than one mind (unless Borg), so "if the
family changes ITS mind ..." doesn't sound right either.

But neither does "if the family changes their minds" sound right.

How about "if the family members change their minds ..."?

Or something else???

TGIF!!!

--
Bambi C.
~~~~~~~~~~
He was alone with the horse on a grassy hillside under a blue sky. And
there were birds singing.
(The Chronicles of Narnia)





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