Folks are planning to storm Area 51 in order to see some aliens!

[Kyberwulf]

When referring to multiple groups, yes you would use groups. Such as saying the three groups of Senators. When it's one group though, you wouldn't refer to it as groups. Such as saying The Groups of US Senators, that would imply multiple groups of senators.

When you are referring to the group as a whole, you would saying something like, "The group of US Senators was briefed..". But you are referring to the US Senators(plural) as a group, so you would use the were instead of was.

If you take the subject out and put in a pronoun, would it make sense to say, "They was briefed" or would it be better if it was "They were briefed."

[Peelee]

When referring to multiple groups, yes you would use groups. Such as saying the three groups of Senators. When it's one group though, you wouldn't refer to it as groups. Such as saying The Groups of US Senators, that would imply multiple groups of senators.

When you are referring to the group as a whole, you would saying something like, "The group of US Senators was briefed..". But you are referring to the US Senators(plural) as a group, so you would use the were instead of was.

If you take the subject out and put in a pronoun, would it make sense to say, "They was briefed" or would it be better if it was "They were briefed."

It was briefed. The subject is "group," not "senators."

[Misereor]

If I was the base commander, I would order my guys to create in a remote corner of the base an exact replica of Dealey Plaza, Dallas, as it looked in Novermber 1963, along with distance measurements, empty bullet casings, and a signed picture of Chuck Norris shaking hands with LBJ randomly dropped near the book repository.

[Peelee]

If I was the base commander, I would order my guys create in a remote corner of the base an exact replica of the honorable Richard J. Daley Plaza (that's where they got that Picasso), Chicago, as it looked in June 1980, along with a broken down car that's got It's got a cop motor - a four hundred and forty cubic inch plant - cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks, and all the representatives of Illinois's law enforcement community who have chosen to join us here in the Palace Hotel Ballroom at this time.

[Rogar Demonblud]

If I was the base commander, I would order my guys create in a remote corner of the base an exact replica of the honorable Richard J. Daley Plaza (that's where they got that Picasso), Chicago, as it looked in June 1980, along with a broken down car that's got It's got a cop motor - a four hundred and forty cubic inch plant - cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks, and all the representatives of Illinois's law enforcement community who have chosen to join us here in the Palace Hotel Ballroom at this time.

Like I said before, hard to go wrong with the classics.

*puts on "Born in Chicago" by PBBB*

[Eldan]

If I was the base commander, I'd just have them put up a few plastic green Martians.

[HamsterKun]

{scrubbed}

[Peelee]

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: This is a friendly reminder to not actually discuss planning it out. Discussing criminal activity is an instantly-bannable offense, and even if made in jest, comments that could be taken seriously could run afoul of the Forum Rules.

[HamsterKun]

{Scrubbed}

[Misereor]

If I was the base commander, I would order my guys create in a remote corner of the base an exact replica of the honorable Richard J. Daley Plaza (that's where they got that Picasso), Chicago, as it looked in June 1980, along with a broken down car that's got It's got a cop motor - a four hundred and forty cubic inch plant - cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks, and all the representatives of Illinois's law enforcement community who have chosen to join us here in the Palace Hotel Ballroom at this time.

Add half a packet of cigarettes, two pair of sunglasses, and a picture of Carrie Fisher carrying an M-16, and you got yourself a hit mister!

[Khedrac]

And apparantly for the less brave (and also less American in location) they also plan to storm Loch Ness in search of Nessie - the RNLI are somewhat worried.

[truemane]

If I was the base commander...

If I was the base commander...

Since this has also become the grammar pedant thread, please note that future conditional phrases are Subjunctive constructions, and so the proper use is "If I were the base the commander..."

[Vinyadan]

Since this has also become the grammar pedant thread, please note that future conditional phrases are Subjunctive constructions, and so the proper use is "If I were the base the commander..."

What is this, Muphry's Law's sister-in-law?

[truemane]

What is this, Muphry's Law's sister-in-law?

That is an amazing typo.

[Peelee]

Since this has also become the grammar pedant thread, please note that future conditional phrases are Subjunctive constructions, and so the proper use is "If I were the base the commander..."

If we're going to toss around grammar pedantry then please enjoy your lashings with the Stick of Descriptivism.

That is, if I was to pull it out.

[DavidSh]

Future conditionals don't have to be subjunctive. If I think it likely that I will become the base commander, "If I am the base commander" is a natural thing to say, although probably qualified, as in "If I have been hastily appointed to the job, and am base commander when this all goes down".


As for Loch Ness, I suspect a few of the registered stormers will just go by the side of the loch, look at it with binoculars for a bit, and leave. Probably nobody will actually enter the loch.

[truemane]

If we're going to toss around grammar pedantry then please enjoy your lashings with the Stick of Descriptivism.

That is, if I was to pull it out.

I'd love to discuss how effective that is, but alas, the data are inconclusive.

[Peelee]

I'd love to discuss how effective that is, but alas, the data are inconclusive.

I'm sorry, I'll only accept responses in grunts and murmurs, as the original language intended.

[Kantaki]

And apparantly for the less brave (and also less American in location) they also plan to storm Loch Ness in search of Nessie - the RNLI are somewhat worried.

Of course they're worried.
The poor little beasty could die of overeating.

[veti]

And apparantly for the less brave (and also less American in location) they also plan to storm Loch Ness in search of Nessie - the RNLI are somewhat worried.

"Storm" it? I don't think so.

The US military is one thing, but nobody messes with the RNLI.

I mean, it's supported by Blue Peter.

[AvatarVecna]

{scrubbed}

[sktarq]

Honestly why people are still focused on Area 51 when they flat out told everyone they moved most of the serious stuff that had been done there to Dugway in Utah and just wait for people to dare the old Bio and Chem dirt for a glance just is baffling to me.

this gives a whole new set of conspiracy ideas when people start getting sick from "aliens"

[Xyril]

Honestly why people are still focused on Area 51 when they flat out told everyone they moved most of the serious stuff that had been done there to Dugway in Utah and just wait for people to dare the old Bio and Chem dirt for a glance just is baffling to me.

this gives a whole new set of conspiracy ideas when people start getting sick from "aliens"

At this point, Area 51 is less "conspiracy" and more of a shared social construct representing conspiracy theories in general. Most conspiracy theories are by their nature obscure, so nobody really knows them beyond members of the conspiracy theory community and--for the more well-known theories--people watching the history channel after midnight. However, if you mention Roswell or Area 51, people immediately know what you're talking about, so it's something you can put into any work of fiction--or in this case, any meme--and people area automatically on the same page.

It's a bit like how a lot of internet chatter will focus on Skrillex if you're talking about dubstep or EDM--he's one of the more prominent figures in those genres, so if you're trying to start a more inclusive conversation, he's the name that will be the most familiar to the most people. If you're a more hardcore fan, you might talk about artists and producers who more purists or better exemplify the genre for other reasons, but they don't necessarily have the same casual name recognition. More importantly, by their very nature "insider" conversations that are deliberately cryptic to casuals aren't going to have the same sort of traction.