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[Paul West]

In an effort to make this board more useful, I'm posting a question I've been wondering about for a long time.

I'm struggling with a couple of words - are they singular or plural.

One is family. When a family is killed, is it they are killed are it is killed?

Same for Death(s). Is it the death of the family or the deaths of the family?

Here's the context:

On a foggy Christmas Eve in 1964, seventeen-year-old Mark Wilkerson’s family is/are killed in a fiery, hit-and-run crash.

And this one:

Mark is plagued with an overwhelming desire for revenge against the scum who caused his family's death(s).

Which is proper? Any ideas?

Thanks,
Paul[/u]
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Please visit my writer's web site at http://valona.blogspot.com/

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- Oscar Collier

[Charlie Moore]

Paul,

I am currently reading through the ms I recently finished (first draft) and making a ton of corrections. Believe me, I feel the same as you. Does this sound right? Is this the correct way to write this? And so forth.

As to your examples, I'll offer my input, but don't take it as gospel. In the first sentence, family (is) killed ... is how I'd write it. Because, while family normally denotes several people, meaning plural; I believe here the focus of the sentence is the crash, which is a singular event. But, when I reread it I see it could be different. You're right. Some parts of our language can be confusing.

In your second example I believe death(s) should be plural. Here the reference is clearly multiple persons.

Hope this helps,

Charlie
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[Paul West]

Thanks Charlie. That's kind of how I see it, but I'm just not sure. I wish I'd listened more in my English classes in grammar school and high school.

(Does that term "grammar school" date me? LOL)
_________________
Please visit my writer's web site at http://valona.blogspot.com/

"A novel is a train of thought pulled by a theme engine"
- Oscar Collier

[sachiko]

I second Charlie. Singular family; plural deaths.

If it were me, I'd throw my hands in the air and replace "family's deaths" with "family's tragedy" just to be sure.

But then I am the kind of person who, if I lived in Germany, would buy two of everything just to avoid having to remember the correct article for each noun.
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Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

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[Paul West]

[sachiko]

Oh, good, glad I could be of some small service.

Und, ja, Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch. (or is that, "ein bisschen Deutsch spreche Ich"? awwww...fuggedaboutit....)
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[Paul West]