Grammar thread?

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Unethical

[Gaucho]

[Tomas]

I am tired and I need some quick help:

A: We found that either of these instrument candidates were significantly positively related to CEO centrality, and the instrumented centrality was a significant predictor of all the key dependent variables studied in our paper.

vs.

B: We found that either of these instrument candidates was significantly positively related to CEO centrality, and the instrumented centrality was a significant predictor of all the key dependent variables studied in our paper.

I think A, but is that correct?

[willeyeam]

B

[Gaucho]

B

[Tomas]

B? Well, F it. I am too old for this S.

And thanks!

[faftorial]

Rogue CEOs?

[Shyster]

As a subject of a clause or sentence, "either" takes a singular verb, so B. So says my brand-new copy of the 4th edition of Garner's Modern American English.

[Shyster]

For the term hole on one, "in one" is a postpositive phrasal adjective, which is an adjective that uses a Romance arrangement (where an adjective follows the noun) instead of the English/Germanic arrangement (where an adjective comes before the modified noun). English being a mongrel language, we have all sorts of terms that use the Romance form, e.g.:

accounts payable
battle royal
body politic
condition precedent
heir apparent
notary public
postmaster general
maid of honor
brother in law
commander in chief
sergeant at arms

In each case, a plural is made by using the plural form of the noun. So holes in one, heirs apparent, bodies politic, brothers in law, conditions precedent, etc.

[dodint]

Being in the military we had to deal with Sergeants Major, Courts Martial, etc.

[willeyeam]

I know the technical answer would be holes in one. But it's like Runs Batted In, it's technically RsBI and not RBIs. As well as ain't.. eventually that's just what it is

[tifosi77]

Since the 'R' can be either singular or plural, there's no need to as the 's' at the end of the abbreviation. The context is provided by the number; it's 1 run batted in (1 RBI), or32 runs batted in (32 RBI). Either is correct imo, and if baseball people colloquially use 'RBIs' they are wrong and silly.

[dodint]

Ribbys!

[willeyeam]

Since the 'R' can be either singular or plural, there's no need to as the 's' at the end of the abbreviation. The context is provided by the number; it's 1 run batted in (1 RBI), or32 runs batted in (32 RBI). Either is correct imo, and if baseball people colloquially use 'RBIs' they are wrong and silly.

I suppose that was more for saying it aloud. While RBI would still be correct, everyone says RBIs.

[Tomas]

That POS Microsoft Word constantly corrects my writing. Now it wants me to remove comma before "but" in:

These results suggest that deals involving bidders socially connected to their financial advisors are more likely to be completed, but are executed in a less efficient and timely manner.

a) Is that f'in software right?
b) If yes, is there a rule on when to put comma before "but" (in my old language comma goes there every time, because it is considered a natural break in the sentence).

Thanks!

[meow]

I use comma but 100% of the time and I’m never wrong about anything

[meow]

Plural of “pain in the ass”

Pains in the ass
Pain in the asses
Pains in the asses

[dodint]

Pains in the ass

[meow]

Because it’s my ass, right?

[dodint]

Presumably, yeah.

[count2infinity]

Is it multiple people who are a pain in one person's ass? If so: Pains in the ass.
Is it one person who is a pain in multiple people's asses? If so: Pain in the asses.
Is it multiple people who are a pain in multiple people's asses? If so: Pains in the asses.

Also, I before E except after C.

[willeyeam]

Testing:

meow and mikey are pains in the ass

Yes that's the one

[count2infinity]

meow and mikey are pains in our asses.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

I’m assuming the ass-pain is coming from the speaker. So unless you have multiple asses, it’d be what ulf said

[mikey]

Yeah, if you're speaking for a group...it's "asses"...what we're talking about is "pain" so it becomes "pains" just it becomes passers-by after passer-by...