Monday, September 24, 2007

Indianapolis Star, 9/21/07

"The verdict said 'guilty.' Like so much else in the confusing, contentious Floyd Landis doping case, though, none of the answers are really that simple."

First, "As with" is actually the proper way to begin the second sentence. "Like" implies an upcoming simile, which, let's face it, never occurred. Second, the word "really" is superfluous. It should be removed. And most importantly, "none of the answers IS that simple." Dammit, people. None means "no one" – a singular word. Therefore, NONE IS – not NONE ARE! In fact, never use NONE ARE. Agreement seems to be a major problem with the Star. They always write, "the couple are getting married on such-and-such a date," rather than "the couple IS…" Remember, "couple" is a singular word. It may contain two individuals, but those two individuals comprise just ONE couple.