RE: Is vs. Are

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Zen C wrote:
 
> Can you help me with this sentence. Should it be is or are?
> 
> To verify information *is* up to date, hover over the 
> relevant category.
> 
> If a word is used both as singular and plural (can't think of 
> one right now) is the rule to read it as a singular and use 
> "is" or to read it as plural and use "are."
> 
> How do you spell the plural of status? Is it statuses or 
> status'?? The Merriam Webster Dictionary says statuses, my  
> colleague says status'. I am confused.

Information is singular. 

Various grocers' signs to the contrary, in _no_ case does one construct
the plural of a word by appending an apostrophe. ("Grocers'" is the
plural possessive, with the apostrophe indicating the possessive.) 

Your confusion results from giving equal credence to two conflicting
sources. You need to pick one as authoritative, and ignore the other
when the two disagree. Who do you think knows more about proper
spelling, your colleague or the folks at Merriam-Webster? :-)

Richard 


------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------




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