a very friendly bunch of folks who love<s>...

[ddmdandaman]

My clan members and I are in a debate.

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

A: We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks who loves meeting new additions to our illegitimate family.

B: We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks who love meeting new additions to our illegitimate family.

I believe it is A because loves refers to the bunch, and bunch is a singular noun, regardless of it referring to a multitude of people. That latter reason is why they think group should be plural. Who's right? The A supporters or B supporters?

 

[deddish]

Generally in questions like this I go with the more A-like option, but in this particular case I'm inclined towards B. Not sure why.

I don't know if there's a right or wrong... there's a few plural-related ambiguities in English.

 

[Loob]

I'd go for the plural: a bunch of folks = lots of folks = many folks.

 

[blini]

It depends on whether you imagine the folks as one group or lots of individuals. Often with people we're close to it's the latter which means that a plural form is needed.

 

[ddmdandaman]

However, the thing here is: folks is in a prepositional phrase (of folks). Also, bunch is a singular noun. Its plural form is bunches.

 

[Moglet]

Grammatically, it has to be "love" because it agrees with "we."

The agreement is clearer if one splits the cited text into two sentences, viz:

"We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks. We loves meeting new additions to our illegitimate family."

"We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks. We love meeting new additions to our illegitimate family."

Hope that helps!

 

[ddmdandaman]

So blini, you're saying that this is an ambiguity, right? Either is correct; it all depends on your own view?

 

[ddmdandaman]

Grammatically, it has to be "love" because it agrees with "we."

The agreement is clearer if one splits the cited text into two sentences, viz:

"We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks. We loves meeting new additions to our illegitimate family."

"We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks. We love meeting new additions to our illegitimate family."

Hope that helps!

The only problem I have with that is that "are" is the verb that agrees with we. I thought the relationship of loves would be with bunch in this sentence. Am I wrong in thinking this?

 

[blini]

So blini, you're saying that this is an ambiguity, right? Either is correct; it all depends on your own view?

Yes.

But you'd have to use 'that' (or 'which') if you use the singular 'bunch':

My clan members and I are in a debate.

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

A: We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks that loves meeting new additions to our illegitimate family.

B: We want all of our members to realize that we are a very friendly bunch of folks who love meeting new additions to our illegitimate family.

Either is fine, it just depends on your imagination.

 

[una madre]

Good question.

I'm voting for B as well. I've said them both out loud a number of times and B sounds right to me. (My only quibble is that I want to say a bunch of folk - I know that "folks" exists but it doesn't sit well with my ear).

 

[ddmdandaman]

I suppose you're right about that one. Heh. All of us were wrong on that one part then. Okay. I admit defeat. I used it plurally when I meant to use it singularly. Darn it. If I had used "that", I'd be right. Thanks all!

 

[Moglet]

The only problem I have with that is that "are" is the verb that agrees with we. I thought the relationship of loves would be with bunch in this sentence. Am I wrong in thinking this?

"Love" is also a verb, and in the context "we" are doing the talking, not "the bunch of folks" (if you get my drift). The use of "bunch of folks" is adjectival: it tells the reader who "we" are.

For comparison, see the following example where the "bunch" is active:

"I have some friends that belong to the local branch of the Rotary Club. That bunch (of folks) loves to make new joiners feel like one of the family."

 

[Moglet]

(My only quibble is that I want to say a bunch of folk - I know that "folks" exists but it doesn't sit well with my ear).

Same quibble here, Una Madre, but I thought that "folks" might be more accurate for AE??

 

[Forero]

"A (very friendly) bunch of folks", "a number of folks", and "a lot of folks" are normally plural because they refer to several or many folks.

"That (very friendly) bunch of folks" and "the number of folks" are singular because they refer to a particular bunch or number, not to the folks.

 

[elroy]

However, the thing here is: folks is in a prepositional phrase (of folks). Also, bunch is a singular noun. Its plural form is bunches.

Just because something is a prepositional phrase doesn't mean it can't influence subject-verb agreement.

Consider the following sentence:

A number of suggestions have been made.

Would anyone say or write A number of suggestions has been made?

I think a bunch in your sentence works like a number in the sentence above. I would therefore use the plural verb without breaking any grammatical rules. It's also what sounds better - for a reason.

 

[ewie]

I think if I was referring to people with the word bunch, I'd always use a plural verb, regardless:
We're a bunch of folks who love meeting other people
That bunch of idiots never know what they're doing etc.
BUT
This bunch of grapes is rotten.

 

[nzfauna]

It's all about the THAT/WHO distinction.

The who refers to folks, the verb therefore matches with folks.

"a bunch of /folks who love/" (a group made up of love-ing folk)

"a bunch /of folks/ that loves" (a love-ing group made up of folk)

 

[Forero]

I agree with Ewie's sentences. I also agree that who cannot refer to the bunch. However, I would still say "a bunch of folks that love meeting new additions ..." (that can also refer to people). In general "bunch of people" is more likely to refer to the people, but "bunch of grapes" is more likely to refer to the bunch itself.

 

[panjandrum]

See post #13 HERE. - where, coincidentally, I declared that a bunch of people is not at all the same kind of thing as a bunch of flowers.
A bunch of people is most likely to be plural in BE.
A bunch of grapes is singular.

So for me, there is no problem with the topic sentence. It's love every time.