a- the united states are a country
b- the united states is a country
2007-01-19 12:44:05 · 17 answers · asked by whoknows 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
to sawyer because you live in a free country or that is what you like to say
2007-01-19 12:48:55 · update #1
b.
You are referring to the US as a corporate unit, so B is correct.
And why are you standing there in your underwear? (Just wondered.)
2007-01-19 12:46:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
In American English (b) is the correct answer -- the United States is a country, which is singular in grammatical form, so "is" would be the proper verb to go with a singular nown. However in British English collective nouns, which are singular in form, but plural in fact (the United States is more than one person and therefore plural in fact if not form) are treated as plural nouns, so they would say "the United States ARE a country. Hope that clear things up.
2007-01-19 20:56:15 · answer #2 · answered by texasjewboy12 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The United States is a county. But, these united states have formed a new union.
I suppose it is a matter of palpability.
Actually "united states are a county is grammatically correct also. Why? If states are the subject then "united" is the adjective.
But it would then have to be "These united states are a country"
.
2007-01-19 20:56:28 · answer #3 · answered by MrsOcultyThomas 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While the technical grammar would have "states" followed by "are," the actual matter is that "United States is a name of 50 individual governments united under ONE Constitution, with one federal government and therefore is one country. "The United States is a country."
The fact that your sentence ends with "a country" instead of "countries" is your clue.
2007-01-19 20:49:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
And, you can finish the name, too: The United States of America is a country. Shortened name-the USA.
2007-01-19 20:49:16 · answer #5 · answered by Shossi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plurals are treated differently in American English and English Enlish, in England a collective noun tahes the singular in America it takes the plural.
2007-01-19 20:48:00 · answer #6 · answered by fourmorebeers 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Way cool sawyer. And why are u in your underwear?
2007-01-19 20:50:26 · answer #7 · answered by JAMI E 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is only one country so "is" and there is no difference between England and the U.S.
2007-01-19 20:48:15 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
B
But run by liberals more as time goes by
2007-01-19 20:48:33 · answer #9 · answered by Michelle 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Depends how it is used in text. I would think it is used as a singular though more often.
Ducks are...?
Ducks is...?
A duck is...?
2007-01-19 20:47:16 · answer #10 · answered by Deb 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋