these united states vs the united states

As late as 1909, Ambrose Bierce was clinging to this grammatical defense of "the United States" as plural.

Thanks for signing up! Relive Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's Sweet Love Story, 20 Weight Watchers Christmas Dessert Recipes That Are Low in Points But High in Flavor. Empty comment. I've written about this at. We've Got Tons of Info to Help You Decide. Incorrect email or username/password combination. In 1901, former secretary of state John W. Foster contributed an article to the New York Times finding that the transformation from plural to singular was a slow and messy one. Why Don't We Keep Daylight Saving Time All Year? And after the war, it was always "the United States is," as we say today without being self-conscious at all. 200 Best Crock Pot Recipes and Easy Slow Cooker Dinner Ideas for the Family, 100+ Weight Watchers Recipes with WW Points to Help You Lose Weight, Which One of These 100 Diets Could Help You Lose Weight? It is, in fact, the United States of America (the USA). You are posting comments too quickly. For Presidents' Day: Where Did "President" Come From Anyway?

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I always took it for granted that the use of singular verbs with "the United States" was just one another example of the North American penchant. Before the war, there were writers and statesmen who preferred the singular, and afterwards there were still many who held on to the old plural usage. The tide had finally turned — four decades after the Civil War. You seem to be logged out. In the Constitution, for instance, "the United States" is treated as plural, but so is "the House of Representatives," "the Senate," and "Congress." The term America (or the Americas) refers to all the lands in the Western Hemisphere, comprising the continents of North America and South America. Refresh your page, login and try again. Sorry, comments are currently closed.

Four years later, clergyman G. H. Emerson wrote that "the change from the plural to the singular was vital, though it has taken a War of Rebellion to make the difference unmistakable."

The capital "T" of "The" calls attention to the fact that all three words are to be treated as a single entity. Now I understand the historical evolution of this usage. It made us an "is. Click here to read more articles by Ben Zimmer. Grammatically, it was spoken that way and thought of as a collection of independent states. The United States of America, or U.S.A., is a country in North America.

Already, as a result of Secretary Foster's careful historical research on the subject, the House of Representative's Committee on Revision of the Laws had ruled in 1902 that "the United States" should be treated as singular, not plural. Get ’Em Here!

“The United States” was treated as a plural noun in most of the 19th century, but the usage shifted during the 20th century towards treating it as a singular noun. conditions of our.

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You are posting comments too quickly. Your use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy, Cookie Notification, and awareness of the California Privacy Rights. We're coming up on the Fourth of July, when the United States is full of barbecues, fireworks, parades, and competitive hot dog eating. Refresh your page, login and try again. However, when people use the singular term America (or American) they’re almost always referring to the U.S.A. And did you know the United States of America is the third largest country in the world by both land area and population? Very interesting! Inspiration. In other words, we understand “The United States” as “the country consisting of united states” in modern English and use singular verbs after it, as in What’s the difference between America and the United States? You can see the persistence of the traditional plural treatment of "the United States" in the 13th Amendment, ratified at war's end in 1865: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Celeb interviews, recipes, wellness tips and horoscopes delivered to your inbox daily. Click here to login.

On Independence Day, there's no better time to reflect on how the rise of America's national unity was mirrored by its grammatical unity, as "the United States" turned into a singular noun. And that sums up what the war accomplished. Slow down. A Look into the Electoral College. "The United States" also went the singular route, but its path was complicated by the plural ending -s at the end of "States.". But why do we say "the United States is full of..." instead of "the United States are"? You seem to be logged out. What Word, When You Add a Syllable to It, Becomes Shorter? We're sorry, you must be a subscriber to comment. The term America (or the Americas) refers to all the lands in the Western Hemisphere, comprising the continents of North America and South America. In 1901, former secretary of state John W. Foster contributed an article to the New York Times finding that the transformation from plural to singular was a slow and messy one. Does Your Vote Count? Your use of this website constitutes and manifests your acceptance Rather than just accepting such sweeping claims, one writer sought to track the actual shift in usage from "the United States are" to "the United States is." Perhaps the point is more clearly seen if one writes that "The United States" turned into a singular noun. ", Foote's tidy narrative is just a little too tidy, reiterating conventional wisdom that has been floating around since a couple of decades after the end of the Civil War. Uh-oh! Why Don’t We Keep Daylight Saving Time All Year? Copyright law, as well as other applicable federal and state laws, the content on this website may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, without the prior, express, and written permission of Athlon Media Group. 100 Inspiring Quotes on Love and Marriage. Already a subscriber? Tyra Banks Reveals the Painful Fashion Emergency She Hid From Viewers on, The First Perfect Score! There was an error in your submission.

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