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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Couple was/were

A super sophisticated American magazine known for its excellent English and very cultured readers (No! I am NOT one of them) has this sentence:

"A couple was married ... near that very spot."

Do you agree with "was" rather than "were."

Thank you.
  

Top answer

I disagree. '

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9 Answers
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I disagree. It can only be 'they', since the action is within the couple: 'The couple were married.'
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Hi,
As far as I'm concerned, in this sense couple can take either a singular or a plural verb, although the latter is usually

more likely.

From Oxford English Dictionary: "The couple was/were married in 2006."

Regards
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Thank you very much, Mr. Micawber and Regards.
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Actually the word " couple " is a singular word
so i agree with " was "
Emotion: smile
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Thank you, Anonymous, for your answer.
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From the American Heritage Dictionary:

Usage Note:

When used to refer to two people who function socially as a unit, as in a married couple, the word couple may take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on whether the members are considered individually or collectively: The couple were married last week. Only one couple was left on
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Hi. In the following sentence, would you take "couple" to mean two individuals or one unit?

Only a poor old couple offer/s the gods shelter and recognize/s their divinity.

Thanks.
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This seems to be a perfect case of its not making any difference which concept is chosen.
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I see! I used the plural and someone changed it to the singular. Thanks!
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