Just to let you all know that Emerald Frog Marketing will be closed on 29th April as we have an appointment at Westminster Abbey to see some friends get married 
However, there is something troubling us greatly. We recently came across this quote from the Daily Mail on the BBC website in an article discussing the Royal Wedding. To us, it just doesn’t seem to read correctly and will be troubling us as we tuck into the prawn rings at the buffet.
Prince William has taken Kate Middleton on an emotional visit to his mother’s grave just days before the couple is married. The Prince held hands with his fiancee as they walked slowly to the island where Princess Diana was laid to rest. The couple was sombre as they laid flowers at the island tomb on the 14,000-acre Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire.
Read it out loud and let us know what you think. But don’t let us know on the 29th as we can’t have our smartphones switched on in the Abbey.
Walking on water huh?
I guess they lashed a couple of swimming peasants to their feet to get there?
My view here is
• It is consistent within the piece – treating couple as a singular noun. A no-no would be, for example, ‘couple is’ and next sentence ‘couple were’
• If you were writing something and weren’t comfortable, then I would recommend you rewrite the sentence/s
• One source described ‘couple’ as a mostly singular noun. Helpful.
• And I think they’re mostly right.
I do see where you are coming from though. I probably would have paused as well. The big question is whether one would read ‘before the couple are married’ and ‘the couple were sombre’ and carry on. Or would one pause here as well?
Does it impact the meaning of the piece? No.
Is it confusing? Not really.
Final answer: I think it is grammatically correct and would love some stats on current usage!
Thanks Gail. It may be grammatically and technically correct, but I am still not so sure it just “sounds right”?
I do agree