Grammar question

[casimendocina]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

My brother asked me about the 'you and I/you and me' thing. I told him whatever works alone is what you use.

You and I went to the movies. (I went to the movies.)

It doesn't matter to you and me. (It doesn't matter to me.)

I hear it misused by some fairly intelligent folks.

Wouldn't you just say "We went to the movies" (Here 'you' and 'I' is being used as a subject.
AND
"It doesn't matter to us/either of us" (whereas here it's being used as an object and this is what determines which pronoun you use).

If I've missed the point completely (entirely possible), let me know immediately.

[Shawnee123]

You've missed the point completely.

Those sentences were just simple ones I came up with to make the point. No one ever has to go to the movies if they don't want to.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

It's a singulare tantum, according to the plurale tantum Wikipedia page.

"This is the evidence."

"These are the evidence."

I stand corrected. Undertoad is right, singulare tantum. Evidence is "singular".

[Cloud]

So, to reiterate:

"

The only evidence were the affidavits."

Now, to me, that's incorrect agreement between the subject and verb. If "evidence" is the subject, then it should read, "The only evidence was the affidavits."

Do you think I'm right, and it should read, "The only evidence was . . . "?

[BigV]

I think it is an unnecessarily awkward construction. I think your suggestion is an improvement. I think another improvement would be "The affidavits were...". That way you can marry the subject/verb agreement *and* keep the original singular evidence.

[Cloud]

thanks.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by BigV

Undertoad is right, singulare tantum. Evidence is "singular".

How about "advice", I was just thinking about that word, is that plural or singluarey?

"I got lots of advice"

"I got one person's advice"

but one wouldn't say "I got a good advice from my friend"

[glatt]

same with "water" and "smoke"

[Shawnee123]

Yeah, it would be "some good smoke" as in "damn, that was some good smoke your friend had."

[glatt]

Although I suppose you could say you want a smoke.

[limey]

Originally Posted by Cloud

So, to reiterate:

"

Do you think I'm right, and it should read, "The only evidence was . . . "?

[professional linguist]Yes. [/professional linguist]

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

How about "advice", I was just thinking about that word, is that plural or singluarey?

"I got lots of advice"

"I got one person's advice"

but one wouldn't say "I got a good advice from my friend"

Originally Posted by glatt

same with "water" and "smoke"

"This is my advice."
"These are my advice."

"This is the water."
"These are the water."

"This is smoke."
"These are the smoke."

In each case, these words ring singular to my ear. So, since there isn't a plural form of these words, that makes them singulare tantum. Additionally, they are examples of mass nouns. Ones that can't be quantified by a number, in contrast to collective nouns, as Cloud identified "evidence" earlier, in error I believe. I think evidence is another mass noun.

Also, in the examples quoted above, the change in subj/verb agreement was happening with the count modifier. "This is the (one)" "These are the (several)". The very fact that you attach this counter is because they're uncountable. What you are counting is not advice, it's "lots" or "person".

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

My brother asked me about the 'you and I/you and me' thing. I told him whatever works alone is what you use.

You and I went to the movies. (I went to the movies.)

It doesn't matter to you and me. (It doesn't matter to me.)

I hear it misused by some fairly intelligent folks.

When I leave a voice message for my wife I often start with, "Hey, it's me..."

But I wonder if it shoud be "Hey, it is I..."

[Shawnee123]

Probably, but it is a causal relationship where casual created a casualty of the more formal language.

But I wonder if it shoud be "Hey, it is I..."

I call, therefore I am.

[HungLikeJesus]

I blame it all on Janis Joplin and Kris Kristopherson.