Grammar Gem of the Day: “Staff” Infection

I’m cursed. I have trouble reading books or listening to speakers because I feel the need to dissect their grammar and usage. What a nerd I have turned out to be.

Here’s an example. Last Sunday I had trouble focusing on the sermon because the pastor had such bad grammar. One of his most noticible grammatical sins was his misuse of the word “staff.” He said something like this:

“The staff are going on a retreat next weekend.”

Sound perfectly okay? Well, here’s the rub. The word “staff” is actually singular (it is one thing), which means it should be treated this way:

“The staff IS going on a retreat next weekend.”

Posted in Blog.