Just to get back to basics. My problem is that my version of Word (in UK
English) suggests alternatives for both:
The staff is happy.
The staff are happy.
That is not a matter of compatibility or usage. It is broken. How can a
user stop it (without disabling the rule altogether)?
And for my sins, I was dragged through Latin but the teacher decided one of
us should give up, so I did. Indeed, my matriculation year was the first
where a classical language was not required. There was a general fear
amongst the dons that they were admitting the barbarians.
Bill
"Graham Mayor" wrote in message
...
Language evolves - what in my reply would suggest that I believed
something different?
In the UK, very little attention appears to be paid to the teaching of
English grammar, which was not the case 50 years ago when I was at school.
Then there would have been less confusion. Now we have graduates who
cannot use the mother tongue with any degree of competence. 
--
Graham Mayor - Word MVP
My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
Robert wrote:
Terry
Contrary to what Graham seems to believe, usage evolves by its very
nature, historically, and geographically.
And determining what is the current usage in a given area requires
deep statistical and linguistical analysis, which few people are able
or willing to do.
In any case who would bother to follow their recommendations?
Robert
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On Sat, 16 Jun 2007 16:00:28 +0100, Terry Farrell wrote:
Robert
That just about covers every possibility. It could be summed up as
'anything goes.' 
Terry Farrell