The double copula, also known as the reduplicative copula, double is or Isis, is the usage of two successive copulae when only one is necessary, largely in spoken

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. For example: :''My point is, is that...'' This construction is accepted by many English speakers in everyday speech, though some listeners interpret it as stumbling or hesitation, and others as a "really annoying language blunder". Some

prescriptive Linguistic prescription, or prescriptive grammar, is the establishment of rules defining preferred usage of language. These rules may address such linguistic aspects as spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, syntax, and semantics. Sometimes infor ...

guides do not accept this usage, but do accept a circumstance where "is" appears twice in sequence when the subject happens to end with a copula; for example: :''What my point is is that...'' In the latter sentence, "What my point is" is a dependent clause, and functions as the subject; the second "is" is the main verb of the sentence. In the former sentence, "My point" is a complete subject, and requires only one "is" as the main verb of the sentence. Another example of grammatically valid use of "is is" is "All it is is a ..." Some sources describe the usage after a dependent clause (the second example) as "non-standard" rather than generally correct.

Words other than "is"

The term ''double is'', though commonly used to describe this practice, is somewhat inaccurate, since other forms of the word (such as "was" and "were") can be used in the same manner: :''The problem being, is that...'' According to the third edition of '' Fowler's Modern English Usage'' (as revised by

Robert Burchfield Robert William Burchfield CNZM, CBE (27 January 1923 – 5 July 2004) was a lexicographer, scholar, and writer, who edited the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' for thirty years to 1986, and was chief editor from 1971. Education and career Born in ...

), the double copula originated around 1971 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and had spread to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

by 1987.

Explanations

The "double is" has been explained as an intensifier or as a way to keep the

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...

of the sentence. Some commentators recommend against using it as a matter of style (not correctness of grammar), because some people find it awkward.

References

External links

Double "is"
at alt-usage-{{Not a typo, english.org
The Reduplicative Copula ''Is Is''

StackExchange thread with statistical chart of occurrences over time

English grammar

Words other than "is"

Explanations

See also

References

External links