...the crew is missing vs. the crew are missing...

Forums: English, Grammar
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In recent years, I have noticed that there is a tendency that articles (ie. from CNN) or people (especially in the US, it seems) tend to use the word 'is' instead of 'are' in sentences.

Now I was always taught and raised with the fact that you use 'is' when you are talking about something in singular and 'are' when you are speaking in plural.

A quick Google search brings up this very simplicistic answer and explanation, which supports my above statement as being the correct one...

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/vs/when-to-use-is-vs-are-in-sentences.html

However, the erroneous application of the word persists and frequently resurfaces in the news, in everyday language use etc. and the fact that it is ongoing reminds me of the first Gulf War. At some point, the national news where I live broadcast a press conference of a couple of British Air Force generals who were informing the media about the events that happened that day which included a downed British Tornado fighter/bomber, which was flown by a pilot and a weapons-system officer/navigator. So two persons in all. I remember clearly how the General stated: 'The crew are missing' which even led to the TV-speaker of our national TV-channel commenting on the strange and nonsensical expression as the commonly used term always was and had been: 'The crew is missing'.

Now, I would like to - once and for all - settle the latter as being the correct and the former the incorrect term. If this is confirmed and there doesn't seem to be an exception which in any way would explain the continuous usage of the wrong term, then I'd highly appreciate an explanation as to why someone such as an internationally renowned and highly professional news organization like CNN etc. or a US native American English speaker (or British one for that sake as in the example with the general) would continue to use the wrong grammatical term.

Thanks in advance for any help.

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View best answer, chosen by safesite

@safesite,

In modern US English, "crew" is a simple singular noun.

Assuming there is one crew and it is missinfg. "The crew is missing" is correct. "The crew are missing" is incorrect.

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

If you are British, it seems that "The crew are missing" and "The committee are in a meeting". I guess it's because the members of crew and committee are plural.

We can't change them. We might as well accept the way they talk.

1 Reply

The question reminds me of the 1960's, when Hitchcock released his film The Birds.

The ads for the film all stated, "The Birds is coming."

The producers knew how to get the public's attention.

0 Replies

@roger,

The British are illogical.

What if there are a crew of one?

3 Replies

@maxdancona,

Then it wouldn't really be a crew, now would it?

0 Replies

@maxdancona,

Thanks for the input from all of you.

Highly appreciated.

So, in retrospect we can establish that the British have a habit of using 'are' when it ought to be 'is' because well..., they are just grammatically speaking weird. Which is astounding thinking of the fact that English originates in well..., England.

So far so good but...

What I don't understand then is - as mentioned in my first post - why there are examples in the news and with native English speakers who are also from the US.

Unfortunately, at the time I noticed these things I either didn't have the time to note down where and who used 'are' instead of 'is' in a singular case or just didn't think about doing so (which I now regret) which means, I am not able to provide you with any links to videos or articles. That still makes my point valid, just that I cannot prove it right now and would have to scout for those issues and then report back here when I finally stumble upon such an example once more.

Until then, I'd still like to know though if this might just be due to the fact that some people are - grammatically speaking - quite bad and are using the wrong terms without even knowing or thinking about which one is right one and which one is wrong.

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@maxdancona,

Actually, I just found an example...

"The British are illogical.

What if there are a crew of one?"

;-)

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@safesite,

**** off, it’s our language. It’s English not American.

1 Reply

@izzythepush,

separated by a common language

1 Reply

@farmerman,

Bit more than that. We don’t tell you how you should talk.

2 Replies

@izzythepush,

you sorta are right now. Let it ride, charged to to the discontinuities of our twodialects. I speak German but have a really hard time with Pa Deutch. I enjoy the differences and we should celebrate the mere fact that we can communicate fairly well. Max is just being max. (Better watch so you guys font get relieved again)

1 Reply

@farmerman,

Max is being Anglophobic as always.

I’ve not spoken to him at all.

This whole thread is an attack on a country which is supposed to be a major ally of yours.

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@izzythepush,

But I am telling you in my thread on how to talk - proper - English..., to me. So right back at you and reported.

You are in the wrong thread and century, bud.

This thread isn't about Britain nor the US, nor allies or whatever. This is a question on why people use 'are' instead of 'is' - when talking about a *singular* topic - in English speaking countries that use the English language as their native or primary language.

There is no Brexit nor Britain First in this thread. It's a question that was including both British and US speakers of the English language if you had bothered to read the initial post.

As such, you can contribute with some facts and explanations and otherwise, be gone.

It's a forum post to be discussed, not an argument and I will have none of it.

1 Reply

@safesite,

It’s a cultural difference based on a society that doesn’t see rampant capitalism as a force for good. A crew is not a single economic unit, it’s a collection of individuals. Using the plural term shows those individuals are valued, they are not just some financial loss to the ship’s owner.

Our language reflects the appreciation of human life. Nobody in the English speaking World would want to sound like someone from a country that places no value on human life and celebrates school shootings as proof of freedom.

Even Canadians don’t want to sound American although they do. Accuse one of being American and they soon let you know.

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@izzythepush,

Quote:

it's a collection of individuals

This is funny! Does anyone else see the ridiculousness of this statement?

Britain is a washed up former empire, too full of themselves to even see their own foolishness.

1 Reply

To me, "the crew is" makes exactly as much sense as "the crew are". It's more a matter of what we are used to, than anything else.

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@maxdancona,

Just stop, just freaking stop, the language is English, not American.

1 Reply

@safesite,

safesite wrote:

But I am telling you in my thread on how to talk - proper - English..., to me. So right back at you and reported.

You are in the wrong thread and century, bud.

This thread isn't about Britain nor the US, nor allies or whatever. This is a question on why people use 'are' instead of 'is' - when talking about a *singular* topic - in English speaking countries that use the English language as their native or primary language.

There is no Brexit nor Britain First in this thread. It's a question that was including both British and US speakers of the English language if you had bothered to read the initial post.

As such, you can contribute with some facts and explanations and otherwise, be gone.

It's a forum post to be discussed, not an argument and I will have none of it.

Welcome to A2K. You might give being polite a little more thought.........otherwise some members might call you a massive %Ax.

0 Replies

@glitterbag,

glitterbag wrote:

Just stop, just freaking stop, the language is English, not American.

We broke away from England because they are a pretentious class based society with a stick up ita collective ass. It is not just the racist royal family that covorts with teenaged prostitutes. In their government they still have a House of Lords... A legislative body where seats are inherited.

If you want to say I speak American, I am OK with that. No reasonable person who speaks my language puts a 'u' in the word color.

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...the crew is missing vs. the crew are missing...

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