"That makes zero sense. That's like saying "people" is plural but "crazy people" is singular."
No, it's like saying that "sheep" is singular and "sheep" is plural. Or that the plural of "opus" is "opera." As you say, expecting English grammar to make perfect sense is a recipe for a lifetime of annoyance.
"That makes zero sense. That's like saying "people" is plural but "crazy people" is singular."
No, it's like saying that "sheep" is singular and "sheep" is plural. Or that the plural of "opus" is "opera." As you say, expecting English grammar to make perfect sense is a recipe for a lifetime of annoyance.
And no, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are social media *companies*. Social media, as a concept, is uncountable. It's really an umbrella term for the various forms of electronic communication that have sprung up in the past 20 years or so.
Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you not to say "social media are..." just to not have an aneurism when somebody uses the perfectly fine "social media is...".
I don't see how the phrase under discussion could possibly be singular but going in circles isn't my thing."Social media usage" is uncountable, but I think we've worn this out.
When I see "opus" it's always as "op." Sheet music is part of my daily life.
English grammar is regular as Vietnamese (all SVO, even questions) compared to some others; in Spanish and Russian "like" is intransitive, "pizza is liked by/to me," and in Russian plural begins with five, not two. In Russian there are about six ducks that have to be set in their rows; in English there is only singular vs. plural and still most people can't handle it. I'd bet money that singularity of SM was a convention born of exasperation.
I'll try not to have an aneurism. Really.
In the past week I've seen "gratefulness" and "ferociousness" on Facebook and when I responded with "gratitude" and "ferocity" I got ferociousnessally yelled at.
"That makes zero sense. That's like saying "people" is plural but "crazy people" is singular."
No, it's like saying that "sheep" is singular and "sheep" is plural. Or that the plural of "opus" is "opera." As you say, expecting English grammar to make perfect sense is a recipe for a lifetime of annoyance.
And no, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are social media *companies*. Social media, as a concept, is uncountable. It's really an umbrella term for the various forms of electronic communication that have sprung up in the past 20 years or so.
Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you not to say "social media are..." just to not have an aneurism when somebody uses the perfectly fine "social media is...".
I don't see how the phrase under discussion could possibly be singular but going in circles isn't my thing."Social media usage" is uncountable, but I think we've worn this out.
When I see "opus" it's always as "op." Sheet music is part of my daily life.
English grammar is regular as Vietnamese (all SVO, even questions) compared to some others; in Spanish and Russian "like" is intransitive, "pizza is liked by/to me," and in Russian plural begins with five, not two. In Russian there are about six ducks that have to be set in their rows; in English there is only singular vs. plural and still most people can't handle it. I'd bet money that singularity of SM was a convention born of exasperation.
I'll try not to have an aneurism. Really.
In the past week I've seen "gratefulness" and "ferociousness" on Facebook and when I responded with "gratitude" and "ferocity" I got ferociousnessally yelled at.
Doubleplusgood, eh?
;0)