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[–] Thisismyvoatusername 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago  (edited ago)

I can’t claim I see that very often but I can think of two different reasons.

One is that it is simply poor grammar because someone speaks in nonstandard English. This happens in dialects like Ebonics where they use simplified verb forms, pronouns and prepositions. However, that results in clearly a incorrect statements unlike your example.

The other (and I think this is what you are asking about) is when a singular is used because the desire is to evoke a single categorical type, not a collection of individuals. It is like saying “man is mortal”. It is used as a singular to indicate it is an abstraction. I don’t see that very often, but that is how I interpret it when I do. I suppose it could be an online or an American thing, but I think it is more of an Academic/intellectual thing and then gets used by non-Academics because they have heard it used that way in argument (whether online or in person).

[Of course, there are also just pure typos which I admit I am personally guilty of on occasion.]

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[–] blackzetsu [S] ago 

"It is used as a singular to indicate it is an abstraction"

Maybe this or maybe Ebonics like you say.