Netherlands

[Nightmare85]

Hello guys,
Do we consider "The Netherlands" as plural or singular?
How would we say that in sports:
Netherlands leads the game.
:?:

Cheers!

 

[LiuJing]

I think it should be singular, like the United States, the United Nations, and so on and so forth, because you regard it as a whole entity.

 

[philadelphia]

*Not a teacher

AmE would rather use the singular. Eg England was not that good at that WC. Talking more about the nation
BrE keeps tending to the plural. Eg England were not that good at that WC. Talking more about the players

You can perfectly notice the difference from reading the NYT and the Guardian.

 

[Offroad]

I have never seen it writ 'Netherland'.

To me, it's always been (The) Netherlands, or Holland.

Netherlands beat Brazil 2-1.:-(
Germany thrashed Argetina four-nil.:lol:

Go Germany!:up:

[not a teacher]

 

[Nightmare85]

Go Netherlands! :up:

Cheers!

 

[Offroad]

What? Are you supporting The Netherlands?

 

[Nightmare85]

Yes.

My three favorites were:
Brazil, Argentina, and The Netherlands.
The Neverlands deserves (not deserve, yes?) to win because they've never won a World Cup yet although they can play very well.
Cheers!

 

[Offroad]

Yes.

My three favorites were:
Brazil, Argentina, and The Netherlands.
The Neverlands deserves (not deserve, yes?) to win because they've never won a World Cup yet although they can play very well.
Cheers!

If you mean the team, it should be deserve, no s.

I just don't get it. Germany have been thrashing other teams, smashing them down...You Germans know no mercy... and you still support other teams?! Aren't you a genuine German?:-D

 

[Nightmare85]

Thanks, ok, so I won't use an -s when talking about a team.

I was born in Germany, so I guess I'm a real German.
However, I dislike the way they play.
It doesn't look interesting to me.
The Germans smash teams that have already given up.
It's as if you keep kicking a guy who's already lying.

I still believe if there hadn't been the lucky goal in the 3rd minute, it could have ended differently.

And many Germans have already a very big mouth, and if Germany actually win[STRIKE]s[/STRIKE];-) the World Cup, they (the citizen) would all feel like "heroes".
They should come back down...
(Sure it could be the same in other countries, but since I'm not there, I don't care )

P.S: Does Brazil and Argentina speak the same language?

Cheers!

 

[Offroad]

P.S: Does Brazil and Argentina speak the same language?
Cheers!

Abso-bloody-lutely NOT. When it comes to football, Brazil and Argentina are deadly enemies.

They speak Spanish in the whole South America (Argetina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and other small countries) except for Brazil where people speak Portuguese!

I have always admired Germany, the whole thing, culture, achievements and so on.

I heard 72% of the German people speak English. Is that true?

Just FYI, here in Brazil, only 0.6% speak other languages!

 

[Nightmare85]

Oh, I see.
Yes, ymnisky also told me that Argentina and Brazil will always be soccer foes ;-)

Well, many young Germans can speak English because they are taught English in school.
As far as I know they even start to learn English when they are about 10 years old.
However, don't expect that many Germans speak English really well.
(When I was a student/pupil not even 50% spoke well.)

Brazil doesn't teach English in schools or what? :shock:

P.S. We have about 28 Argentinians here, and he seems to be their leader :-D

Cheers!

 

[Offroad]

Oh, I see.
Yes, ymnisky also told me that Argentina and Brazil will always be soccer foes ;-)

Well, many young Germans can speak English because they are taught English in school.
As far as I know they even start to learn English when they are about 10 years old.
However, don't expect that many Germans speak English really well.
(When I was a student/pupil not even 50% spoke well.)
Even so, 50% is a great number!
:shock:
Brazil doesn't teach English in schools or what? :shock:
Hmmm... interesting question... I guess our friend ymnisky has a proper answer to that. Contact him/her!;-)

P.S. We have about 28 Argentinians here, and he seems to be their leader :-D
Let's leave them alone!:-D
Cheers!

:up:

 

[kfredson]

Thanks, ok, so I won't use an -s when talking about a team.

I personally would always say "The Netherlands" or "Holland" followed by the singular. This would not change if I were referring to a team. Would you say: "Germany are a highly skilled team"? I would say: "Germany is a great team" or "The German players are a highly skilled team."

I was born in Germany, so I guess I'm a real German.
However, I dislike the way they play.
It doesn't look interesting to me.
The Germans smash teams that have already given up.
It's as if you keep kicking a guy who's already lying.

I still believe if there hadn't been the lucky goal in the 3rd minute, it could have ended differently.

And many Germans have already a very big mouth, and if Germany actually win[STRIKE]s[/STRIKE];-) the World Cup, they (the citizen) would all feel like "heroes".
They should come back down...
(Sure it could be the same in other countries, but since I'm not there, I don't care )

P.S: Does Brazil and Argentina speak the same language?

No, Brazilians speak Portuguese and Argentinians speak Spanish (although with a pronunciation that reminds me of Portuguese.) So...I would prefer to say "Brazilians" rather than "Brazil." If I did use the country names I would say, "Brazil and Argentina use a different language." Only people (e.g., Brazilians) speak, not countries.

Cheers!

I must confess to being an unschooled viewer from the United States, so I don't know a striker from a midfielder, if that is what you call them. I would cheer for a Latin American team, but what that Suarez gentleman did didn't appear to be fair. And, by the way, if a ball is clearly headed into the net and only a handball keeps it from entering, why isn't it counted as a goal?

Do you want some US suggestions for how to make it a more interesting game? Of course you don't, so I won't offer them here!

 

[Offroad]

They both work.

Germany go for the jugular!

Go Germany!!! Thrash them all!!!:-D

 

[Nightmare85]

They both work.

Germany go for the jugular!

Go Germany!!! Thrash them all!!!:-D

But this is an imperative!

Germany wins every match. - statement (fortunatelly wrong :-D)
Germany win every match! - imperativ, you tell them to win, you wish they won every match, etc.

This example does not solve the "Simple Present -s issue".

Cheers!

 

[Offroad]

But this is an imperative!

Germany wins every match. - statement (fortunatelly wrong :-D)
This works too, I believe.
Germany win every match! - imperativ, you tell them to win, you wish they won every match, etc.
No, it's not!
This example does not solve the "Simple Present -s issue".
Yes, it does!;-)
Cheers!

Another example:
Germany have the look of champions after romp over Argentina.

From The Telegraph

 

[Abstract Idea]

Hi fellas!
Everybody hiding here?

Brazil doesn't teach English in schools or what?

English is taught in almost all Brazilian elementary and high schools.

However,
(i) most of the English teachers do not speak good English;
(ii) only written English is stressed in classes and exams, no oral English at all;
(iii) the teacher's salaries are incredibly small;
(iv) elementary and high school English teachers have a low self-stem and social status;

Usually if one wants to learn English in Brazil he or she should enroll in a private course. See for instance: https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/119826-uk-spelling-us-english-2.html

I have been watching German movies and listening to German radios and it seems to me that ,in Germany, English is much more spread out among the teenagers than in Brazil. It seems to me that although most of German teens do not really speak English, they like to use it as a social protest to the standard culture. So, as I see it, English is much more spread out among the German language than on Portuguese nowadays.
Maybe our German friends here could say something about it.

 

[Offroad]

A mix of poor culture and poverty!

But this poor and thin dog will have its day!!!

 

[Nightmare85]

Germany win every match! - imperativ, you tell them to win, you wish they won every match, etc.
No, it's not!

If it's not, then you must not add the ! ;-)
Germany wins every match. - statement
Germany win every match. - statement.
Germany win every match! - imperativ
Germany, win every match! - imperativ (I prefer this one if it's an imperativ.)

Cheers!

 

[Abstract Idea]

If it's not, then you must not add the ! ;-)
Germany wins every match. - statement
Germany win every match. - statement.
Germany win every match! - imperativ
Germany, win every match! - imperativ (I prefer this one if it's an imperativ.)

Cheers!

If I understand what you are arguing about I agree with Offroad.
It is not the final exclamation mark which determines if it is imperative or not.

PS The word is imperative rather than imperativ.