Lower costs is/ are the answer, not carrots.

[kohyoongliat]

1. The government encourages us to have more children. Lower costs are the answer, not carrots.

2. The government encourages us to have more children. Lower costs is the answer; not carrots.

I believe it should be 'are'. And I think there should be a comma after 'answer'. My friend thinks otherwise. In other words, I think #1 is correct.

Is he correct or am I?

Thanks.

 

[Rover_KE]

I think you are right, though I don't get the carrot bit.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I think you are right, though I don't get the carrot bit.

"Carrots" are incentives or rewards, from the expression "carrot and stick".

 

[probus]

1. The government encourages us to have more children. Lower costs are the answer, not carrots.

2. The government encourages us to have more children. Lower costs is the answer; not carrots.

I believe it should be 'are'. And I think there should be a comma after 'answer'. My friend thinks otherwise. In other words, I think #1 is correct.

Is he correct or am I?

Thanks.

"Lower costs is the answer," assuming that "answer" here means "reason" (according to me and Chomsky.;-))

 

[Tdol]

If I can half-agree with you and Chomsky, I think both forms are OK.

 

[kohyoongliat]

"Lower costs is the answer," assuming that "answer" here means "reason" (according to me and Chomsky.;-))

Is "according to me" correct? Shouldn't it be 'in my opinion'? Thanks. And who is Chomsky?

 

[Raymott]

Is "according to me" correct? Shouldn't it be 'in my opinion'? Thanks. And who is Chomsky?

Yes, "according to me" is correct. There's no reason it should be something else.
Chomsky was a famous linguist, now known for various other things. You can easily search for him.

 

[kohyoongliat]

Yes, "according to me" is correct. There's no reason it should be something else.
Chomsky was a famous linguist, now known for various other things. You can easily search for him.

Thanks, Raymott. What do you mean by the sentence in bold. Does it mean that I can contact him, and if so, how do I do that?

 

[Raymott]

Thanks, Raymott. What do you mean by the sentence in bold. Does it mean that I can contact him, and if so, how do I do that?

No, I meant you could easily do a Google search for him. A web search. 'Search' in the computer sense.
I guess you could physically search for him too, but I didn't mean that.

 

[probus]

Chomsky is so famous that a one-word google of his surname does not yield the wikipedia page as the first result. That is famous indeed!

 

[Barb_D]

Note that all alone "according to me" is non-native.

According to me, this verb should be "are" instead of "is." -- NOT a natural use.

But when paired with another person as shown in this thread, it's quite natural.

 

[probus]

Note that all alone "according to me" is non-native.

According to me, this verb should be "are" instead of "is." -- NOT a natural use.

But when paired with another person as shown in this thread, it's quite natural.

That's why I roped in old Noam. The phrase wouldn't sound natural without somebody else.

 

[kohyoongliat]

"Lower costs is the answer," assuming that "answer" here means "reason" (according to me and Chomsky.;-))

When I asked if "according to me" was correct, I meant the phrase as it stands, not combined with another person. Thanks, Barb, for the clarification.

 

[Raymott]

When I asked if "according to me" was correct, I meant the phrase as it stands, not combined with another person. Thanks, Barb, for the clarification.

I find it quite natural in the following context:
A: According to Chomsky, you can't say that.
B: Well, according to me, you can.
I'm actually surprised to hear it called non-native.

 

[5jj]

I find it quite natural in the following context:
A: According to Chomsky, you can't say that.
B: Well, according to me, you can.
I'm actually surprised to hear it called non-native.

I find it acceptable in that context.

 

[kohyoongliat]

I find it acceptable in that context.

It seems Barb is the only native speaker who says that "according to me" on its own, not paired with another person, is non-native.

 

[5jj]

It seems Barb is the only native speaker who says that "according to me" on its own, not paired with another person, is non-native.

No, I agree with her. I just think it happens to work in Raymott's example in post #14, where it mirrors the 'According to Chomsky". Probus explained that he deliberately avoided using it on its own. Raymott is, so far, the only person to express surprise at Barb's statement.

 

[MikeNewYork]

It seems Barb is the only native speaker who says that "according to me" on its own, not paired with another person, is non-native.

It can work if it is used to contrast one's opinion with that of another, as Raymott pointed out.

 

[Tdol]

Without the contrast, it wouldn't sound very natural to me.