[Closed] Using "where's" and "there's"?

They're isn't any rules no more.

I find peoples usage of "is" and "are" strange as well, I tend to use are when referring to plurals. But I looked "is" up and apparently using "is" is fine if you are referring to a group as one thing.

Something like that anyhow.

The one that does bug me is people using bring all the time when the mean take. I blame American script writers.

You're correct. The usage you illustrate is illiterate. 🙂

Does "Where the rest of them" sound right? No of course not.

Wheres could be the plural of where, if you wanted.

Where's? with an apostrophe is always where is?

"Where's the rest of them?" is shoddy English; it should be "where are the rest of them?"

It's constantly used in sentences such as "where's the rest of them"

I wouldn't take repeated use as any indication of what is [i]technically[/i] correct.

Pretty sure that [i]should[/i] be "Where are the rest of them" and so it [i]should[/i] be abridged to "Where're the rest of them" - but that's a bit harder to say which probably accounts for people saying "where's".

It's tricky...

"The others" could be a singular item, although it refers to many rather than just one person. (a bit like "mum and dad" is one 'thing' as well as two people)

So grammatically either "Where are", and "Where's" is probably ok, although I would've written "Where are the others? as it's a bit more elegant?

Is my view on it.

Should of payed more attention at school.

"Where's the rest of them?" is shoddy English;

*see also audience, troupe, band, clientele, etc. I *think* customers would be "where [i]are[/i]" as that's a multiple plural rather than a single plural (if that makes sense) but I could be talking cobblers.

No problem in the Black Country vernacular

Where is/Where are = weers
There is/there are = theers

As in "Weers yows?"
"Theer ay it!"

simple

globalti - Member

Wheres could be the plural of where, if you wanted.

Where's? with an apostrophe is always where is?

Or "where has", I think.

As in "Where's he gone?" - Where has he gone?

Wears the soap

This is, imo, slightly more interesting than it first appears and isn't really a questions about apostrophes, but about the other end of the sentence: Are you considering "the rest of them" to be singular or plural.

I think you could tecnically argue this either way - whether the main thing that is being sought is "them" which is clearly plural, and is being modified by the descriptive "the rest of" to clarify that I don't need to know about "these" bits of "them", just the remainder, or "rest of" them.

On the other hand you could argue that it is the "rest" that is being sought, with the nature of this rest being modified by the further description "of them" to distinguish between the rest of "those other things." In this case, "the rest" might be singular, either linguistically or literally.

Linguistically, that is that "the rest" is a singular word, describing a mass of stuff, rather than an amount of individual things.

Literally? Well "the rest of them" might only be one, in which case the conversation might go:

"Where's the rest of them?"

[pointing to the one, solitary one that remains]

"This is the rest of them."

You wouldn't say "These are the rest of them," in this case (unless for comic effect), let alone "these is the rest.."

(If it was just "Where's the rest?" then of course that could be singular if it referred to e.g. a piece of snooker playing equipment.)

Yes, I have got [s]better[/s] more important things to do.

Linguistically, that is that "the rest" is a singular word, describing a mass of stuff, rather than an amount of individual things.

Indeed, as in the example above yours for trying to locate the band.

Is 'the band' referring to a singular thing, or is it plural as the thing (band) is also a group of people?

Where is the band?
Where are the band?

Which is correct? or are they both correct?

I find peoples usage of "is" and "are" strange as well

Any particular nationality?

"Where's the rest of them?" is shoddy English; it should be "where are the rest of them?"

"Where're the rest of them?"

"Where's Ware?"

a bit like "mum and dad" is one 'thing' as well as two people

Ie, [i]I went on holiday with Mum & Dad and Aunty Mary[/i]

???

One thing's for sure - there has probably been more change in our common language in the last ten years than in the previous fifty!

johndoh, I haven't come across that before. I understood the ampersand was just an "and" replacement?

Well that's how I think it can work in practise - and someone else agrees...

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/3127/when-to-use-instead-of-and

I often use "&" when two things are related directly but only in a series. Example: "Michel has experience in Marketing, Research & Design, and Business Management."

🙂

If it's a bit uncertain, whatever sounds better is probably the one to use. Football teams are singular strictly speaking, but saying Manchester United [i]is[/i] out of the Champions league just sounds horrible, however correct it might be.

hmmmm, not sure your link supports it to be honest, "and" is a perfect good co-joining word, and those law firm examples look like a convention rather than a grammar rule. and the examples of AT&T specifically say it's an "and" replacement...

Not proven... 🙂

a bit like "mum and dad" is one 'thing' as well as two people

johndoh, I haven't come across that before. I understood the ampersand was just an "and" replacement?

Wears the soap

So you say "my mum and dad is......"?

no of course not. but you could happily (and correctly) say where's mum and dad.

[img] [/img]

😆

no of course not. but you could happily (and correctly) say where's mum and dad.

including me whilst accepting it is grammatically incorrect

It isn't strictly incorrect, so you can relax... 😀

Are you considering "the rest of them" to be singular or plural.

That's easily demonstrated by answering the question. Would you reply "the rest of them are there" or "the rest of them is there"?

I often use "&" when two things are related directly but only in a series. Example: "Michel has experience in Marketing, Research & Design, and Business Management."

Whilst I don't disagree with the usage, I'd be dubious of taking grammar advice from someone who uses the Oxford Comma. (-:

where's the rest of 'em at?
where's the rest of 'em to?
where's 'ee bin to then bouy?

where's 'em to?
where's 'em frum?

****ed if I knows

Of course, I'm in Lancashire, so it should be "weez tothers at?"

it's just possible that at some point in the future - a strict insistence on the use of formal english grammar could be viewed as sectarian or discriminatory

"but you could happily (and correctly) say where's mum and dad".
No!