The Public Doesn't or don;t?????

I got an argument with my English teacher (who i personally don;t trust as IMO My English is about as good as hers and that's not a good sign)
about the word Public
it that word plural or ehm not-plural
in other words
is it the public Don't or the Public doesn't????

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I'm Watching you...

[Diogenes Of Pumpkintown]

Originally posted by Rikard: I got an argument with my English teacher (who i personally don;t trust as IMO My English is about as good as hers and that's not a good sign) about the word Public it that word plural or ehm not-plural in other words is it the public Don't or the Public doesn't????

Without looking it up, my gut reaction is "doesn't." "the public don't" just doesn't sound right.

[WOLFGIR]

http://dictionary.cambridge.org

Check it out. It might be one of thoose nasty words that breaks alot of rules.. But I think it should be doesn´t since you refer to alot of people as a unite.. But well, I better leave this to someone who knows for certain.

The link above is one I got from Sir Tainly! May the rust never grew to heavy on his armour!


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Be vevvy qwiet..I´m hunting wabbits...
Wolfgirs lair
once-upon-a-paper

So it's the Public Doesn't
I'll show this to my english teacher and demand her to get one her knees and kiss my shoes

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I'm Watching you...

It's the public don't. Your teacher is right I'm afraid. When you talk about a group of people, you speak in singular.

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[DragonMage]

I have to disagree SA. 'Public' is one of those ugly exceptions to the rule. It is 'the public doesn't'.

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The day we stop learning is the day we start dying!(c)

Owner/operator of the Evil Petting Zoo and devout member of the HADB clan.
Commander of the Dragon Fleet, IW Peacekeeping Force
Mage extraordinair.
Occasional minion to Gwhanos the Fluffy

Hopeless Romantic *sigh*

"Allright! We'll call it a draw."

[Diogenes Of Pumpkintown]

Originally posted by Sorcerer Alex: It's the public don't. Your teacher is right I'm afraid. When you talk about a group of people, you speak in singular.

I have to disagree. English is a weird hodgepodge of various languages. Proper usage of certain words like in this example is a matter of much debate and varying usage, even among scholars of the English language.

I wager that if you asked scholars of the English language about this example, you would get different answers.

So, in such cases, just go with whatever sounds/feels more correct.

[Grojlach]

Originally posted by WOLFGIR: http://dictionary.cambridge.org Check it out. It might be one of thoose nasty words that breaks alot of rules.. But I think it should be doesn´t since you refer to alot of people as a unite.. But well, I better leave this to someone who knows for certain. The link above is one I got from Sir Tainly! May the rust never grew to heavy on his armour!

According to that dictionary, both plural and singular are right to use....

No this cannot be! I was always the best in English class grrrr.... I hate being wrong

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[DragonMage]

Originally posted by Sorcerer Alex: No this cannot be! I was always the best in English class grrrr.... I hate being wrong

Well...I'm just better at it, I guess. (English Major, here! )

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The day we stop learning is the day we start dying!(c)

Owner/operator of the Evil Petting Zoo and devout member of the HADB clan.
Commander of the Dragon Fleet, IW Peacekeeping Force
Mage extraordinair.
Occasional minion to Gwhanos the Fluffy

Hopeless Romantic *sigh*

"Allright! We'll call it a draw."