[Grammar] snowdrop

[*^^*]

I saw this sentence in a book.
"There's snowdrops in the park."
Shouldn't it be "There are snowdrops in the park."?

 

[YAMATO2201]

I saw this sentence in a book.
"There's snowdrops in the park."
Shouldn't it be "There are snowdrops in the park."?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/there-is-there-s-and-there-are?q=there's

 

[jutfrank]

My judgement is that, in Britain at least, it is very common to use there's before a plural noun, and it's getting commoner, possibly gradually becoming standard, as evidenced by the updated Cambridge Dictionary entry.

 

[SoothingDave]

Today I learned that "snowdrops" are a type of flower.

 

[emsr2d2]

Today I learned that "snowdrops" are a type of flower.

Are they called something else in AmE?

 

[emsr2d2]

My judgement is that, in Britain at least, it is very common to use there's before a plural noun, and it's getting commoner, possibly gradually becoming standard, as evidenced by the updated Cambridge Dictionary entry.

Talking of things that are becoming more common, your use of "commoner" as a comparative adjective rather than as a noun (and rather than "more common") seems to be becoming more popular.

 

[SoothingDave]

I have literally never heard of that type of flower. I thought it was a mistake, someone confusing "raindrops" with "snowflakes" in describing the weather.

Upon further research, they aren't native in the Americas.

 

[jutfrank]

Talking of things that are becoming more common, your use of "commoner" as a comparative adjective rather than as a noun (and rather than "more common") seems to be becoming more popular.

I agree that commoner is becoming ... erm, commoner.

 

[Rover_KE]

Upon further research, they aren't native in the Americas.

That's a pity: they're the first welcome sign that winter's coming to an end.

 

[Tdol]

My judgement is that, in Britain at least, it is very common to use there's before a plural noun, and it's getting commoner, possibly gradually becoming standard, as evidenced by the updated Cambridge Dictionary entry.

I hear things like there's two much more often nowadays in the UK.

 

[GoesStation]

Today I learned that "snowdrops" are a type of flower.

Are they called something else in AmE?

A very common late winter/early spring bulb is called a "snowdrop". I don't know whether it's the same flower as what you Brits refer to by that name though.

 

[jutfrank]

Today I learned that "snowdrops" are a type of flower.

Today I learned that American people don't generally know what snowdrops are.

 

[GoesStation]

Today I learned that "snowdrops" are a type of flower.

Today I learned that American people don't generally know what snowdrops are.

They're really common around here. Everyone who likes flowers know what they are.

 

[teechar]

Everyone who likes flowers knows what they are.

Was that typo caused by hay fever from snowdrops? ;-)

 

[Raymott]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galanthus_nivalis

This is what a snowdrop is in Australia. It appears to be what Rover has illustrated.

 

[GoesStation]

Was that typo caused by hay fever from snowdrops? ;-)

Know.

 

[GoesStation]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galanthus_nivalis

This is what a snowdrop is in Australia. It appears to be what Rover has illustrated.

And in Ohio.

 

[teechar]

Know.

For the benefit of our learners, GoesStation is making a light-hearted joke here. "Know" should be spelled "No".

 

[jutfrank]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galanthus_nivalis

This is what a snowdrop is in Australia. It appears to be what Rover has illustrated.

Yes, that's what I know as a snowdrop. There are still some presently scattered among the bluebells in my garden, looking lovely.

Can I quickly ask my American and Antipodean friends—do you have bluebells where you live?

 

[GoesStation]

Yes, that's what I know as a snowdrop. There are still some presently scattered among the bluebells in my garden, looking lovely.

Can I quickly ask my American and Antipodean friends—do you have bluebells where you live?

Funny you should ask. Just yesterday I was chatting with a woman about the glorious spring we're finally enjoying. She rattled off a list of the many kinds of flowers currently blooming at a nearby botanical garden, and included bluebells among them. That jumped out at me because I've never heard anyone call any flowers grown around here by that name.

I've just looked it up, though, and according to Wikipedia, bluebell is sometimes used for what I know as grape hyacinths. They grow profusely here and are blooming right now.

The same source tells me bluebell is more commonly applied to other members of the genus hyacinthoides. It's also well known over here as the state flower of Texas, eustoma exaltatum ssp. russellianum.