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Correct. The team is singular, so you refer to the singular. The same applies to nouns like company, club, partnership.

This is just the sort of correct English that the world is forgetting as fast as it can, so it is nice to see it being thought about :)

So which of these is appropriate:

1.The Beatles are a good band or
2.The Beatles is a good band.

2.The Beatles is a good band.

Murthy

Even though the name of the group has a word in the plural (beatles), it is referring to a single group, hence 'The Beatles is a good band' is right.

But when the reference to them is as a collection of individual 'Beatle's (i.e. each member of the group is a single 'Beatle') , then you would see that the usage would be in the plural , eg. 'The Beatles are coming !!! ' or 'The Beatles are back'. Of course, I don't know if this usage is grammatically correct.

EDIT : guess we both posted at the same time !!!

If I'm referring to the band as an entity / brand then no.2 seems correct. But what if I'm referring to the four individuals who make up the Beatles? Wouldn't statement no. 1 be correct?

I suppose so, under the circumstances you have mentioned.

Then the 'the' should not be there. :-)

Even then the name of each of them has to be Beatle if you want to take the 's' as plural for Beatle.

The moment you are refering to band and the group's name '2' is the only correct answer.

Murthy

if they were not all named beatle but belonged to a cult called beatle, "the beatles make a good band" would be correct.

"the" is needed to qualify only the four of all the beatles that make a good band.

The Beatles are a good band. (Actually they were a good band, lol) I find that usually when there is a "The" in the band followed by a plural, it is appropriate to say are.

Ergo The Ramones are a punk band and Metallica is a metal band. However The Verve is one of my favourite bands.


Multiple Beatles do not need apostrophes. To say "A collection of individual Beatle's" is very wrong. That would be used only when something belongs to a Beatle.

That is a Beatle's shirt. However those are 2 Beatles smiling and scratching themselves.

I think that was not an apostrophe. It was within quotes

You have a way of putting things across, Sam:uncontrol


But at the end of it am more confused with my original doubt. If I refer to a team or band, should it be plural or singular. Or should plural be used only when the name indicates a plural - Beatles (plural, though a single band) Metallica (singular, and a single band)

Mull over the following

Is it "Brazil likes playing attacking football" or "Brazil like playing attacking football"

I've seen both usages-which is correct?

Going by Sams' logic, I should use plural in the above sentence if iam referring to Honduras "Honduras like playing football" (i cant say attacking in this case, can i?hehe)

Hondurans like playing football and Honduras (as in the team) like playing attacking football.
The world Honduras although a plural of hondura is still a singular here (a country/team), so I would think Brasil likes to play...would be the correct or better version

Pardon my ignorance. What is Yetiguide? :-)

Murthy

YetiGuideŽ is basically a brand name for articles created by Yeti. Yeti obviously is a 6'4" tall apparition, which keeps on growing every time you look, at least Yeti thinks so.

PS: Yeti also uses the alias Sameer Kapasi.

A guide written by The Yeti is a Yetiguide. If you wanna know what a Yeti is, you can read the dictionary. But in this forum it refers to a person who bought a 22 lac car becuase he liked the stock umbrella that came with it---Sam a.k.a Yeti. (just kidding, Sam!)

I thought so. :-)

But this confused me.

A YetiGuideŽ guide to tattooing! ( 1 2 3 4 5)
R32_GTR

It is not started by Yeti/ Sam.

Thanks for the clarification. I am slowly getting to know the people.

Sorry for the diversion.

Murthy