IS IT “ARE” OR “IS.”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5088, 14 February 1927, Page 1

IS IT “ARE” OR “IS.”

iS it “ are ” or is. it ‘ is ’ ? The Burlington Railway wants to know (says the Chicago correspondent of the "Christian Science Monitor”). So far it is fifty-fifty. It all started when the railway sought to tell the world through paid advertising space that al ng its right of way “is” or “are" produced two-thirds of oats,, more than half the corn, etc., in the United States. The advertising agency wrote “is” in the. copy. The passenger traffic manager changed it to “are,” the traffic vice-president changed it back with a caustic remark about the grammar of the passenger department, if any. So the passenger traffic manager called the University -o'f Chicago into conference. They told him he was right—absolutely. So he repo,ted to the vice-president. The v'ce-president asked North-Western University about it. They said he was right—positively. Then, while traffic manager dashed off a letter to Harvard., the vice-president wrote to a lexicographer. One said “is,” the other said "are.” Then while one wrete to Princeton the other wired Yale and asked 'for a hurry-up answer. When both answers came, one said “j®,” the other said “are.’.’ And there you “are”—not “fet”