Attention Grammar Police:

[time_entangled]

We predict that it is possible to cool rotational, vibrational and translational degrees of freedom of molecules by coupling a molecular dipole transition to an optical cavity. The dynamics is numerically simulated for a realistic set of experimental parameters using OH molecules.
Which is correct, "the dynamics is..." or "the dynamics are

Comments

[masasi]

That's a tricky one; my gut is that you'd say "The dynamics are," but I would suggest rewriting instead to avoid it. Perhaps something like: "Here, we numerically simulate the dynamics for ....".

I'm in the middle of writing a paper myself and procrastinating on LJ everytime I finish a paragraph. Writing can be hard!

[time_entangled]

Totally.

I should say that this is not my work, but the first two lines of an abstract I was reading.

the authors appear to be non-native English speakers, but I'm not sure if that means they should have better or worse grammar than I have. It's usually a safe bet that their grammar is better than mine.

[masasi]

Procrastinating again -- I googled "The dynamics is" and came up with several scientific papers using that phrase, so maybe it is some specialized rule for the physics definition. I used to have an American Chemical Society style guide and it gave some strange advice for certain terms. Still, I don't think I could ever bring myself to write "The dynamics is" and would do my best to rewrite it.

This is entertaining to think about, but I must admit I want to see more pictures of Kailey and hear about her wall-climbing abilities!

Grammar Police here

[zevhonith]

but I need help with the science. Is "dynamics" a collective noun of some kind here? My gut reaction is that absolutely, dynamics is plural and therefore the dynamics ARE doing something. But maybe it's some special use of dynamics that I've never heard?

Re: Grammar Police here

[time_entangled]

Yeah, this is why I'm hesitant.

I mean, I'm always writing 'the data is...' but I've been told many times that data is the plural form of datum.

Personally, I generally refer to 'the system dynamics' or, in this case, 'the molecular dynamics'. so yeah, I guess that makes it collective.

I guess that means 'is' is correct, right?

I mean 'the pride of lions is massive' is correct, rather than, 'the pride of lions are purple'. In that case, it would be a pride of purple lions.

Re: Grammar Police here

[zevhonith]

Data is the plural form of datum (and should, technically, get an "are"), but common use has made it allowable to use the "is". "The data are" is no less correct, however.

Your example doesn't quite fit - in your example, you're modifying "pride", not "lions", which is a singular noun. "The pride of lions are purple" would never be correct.

I can't think of any examples of collective singular nouns that end in an 's'. If I were you, I'd use "are".

Re: Grammar Police here

[time_entangled]

oh, as I mentioned above, this is not my writing. I just read it somewhere and wanted to know if it's correct.

and yeah, I was trying to say that 'the pride of lions are purple' is wrong. but then the idea of purple lions amused me.

I should say that I think 'dynamics' refers to the set of things a system can do.

hehe, perhaps the following would have been a better example.

The phrase, "Quantum Mechanics is really hard," is a very benign statement.
The phrase, "Quantum Mechanics are really hard," is less so.

Just because I had nothing to do...

[i_strannik]

Would you also say physics are?

Nouns ending in -ics that name fields of study, sciences, arts, professions, or the like are usually not preceded by an article and are used with a singular verb: Acoustics (the science) deals with sound. Politics (the art of government) fascinates me. In certain uses, often when preceded by a determiner like the, his, her, or their, most of these nouns can take a plural verb: The acoustics (the sound-reflecting qualities) of the hall are splendid. Their politics (political opinions) have antagonized everyone.

There you go...