Concordance

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buggah

#20162 Sat, 24 Jan 04 01:46 AM

Which is the correct:

1. Indeed, what really influences the future of people's career are their
achievements, or better to say, their success in one or another field in school.

2. Indeed, what really influence the future of people's career are their
achievements, or better to say, their success in one or another field in school.

3. Indeed, what really influences the future of people's career is their
achievements, or better to say, their success in one or another field in school.

4. Indeed, what really influence the future of people's career is their
achievements, or better to say, their success in one or another field in school.

5. None of the above.

I also would like to hear some comments. Thank you.

Buggah Loo

buggah

Joined on Sat, Jan 24 2004

Brazil

Full Member (106)

dinosm

#20168 Sat, 24 Jan 04 03:56 AM

I'm not a native speaker, so I may well be wrong about this, but I would pick number 3.

When I hear 'what' in such a structure, I always think of a singular 'something', regardless of how many things that 'what' might be referring to later in the sentence.

dinosm

Joined on Fri, Nov 28 2003

Manchester, U.K.

New Member (43)

Numbers

buggah

#20218 Sat, 24 Jan 04 02:35 PM

Thank you dinosm, but I've also posted this question in
another forum and two people claim only number 2 is right.
I wonder if anybody has a final answer to this.

Thank you

Buggah Loo

buggah

Numbers

DiamondKite

#20221 Sat, 24 Jan 04 03:13 PM

Hang on one second, I'm rethinking what I said . . .

DiamondKite

Joined on Fri, Jan 23 2004

New Member (38)

buggah

#20245 Sat, 24 Jan 04 05:52 PM

I found detailed explanations about this topic in the following link.
However, I still can't reach a conclusion alone.

[link]

buggah

suzi

#20250 Sat, 24 Jan 04 07:12 PM

2 and 4 are both wrong - it has to be influences ... which would suggest a singular subject, that you then ought to carry on to the verb to be, so 3 would be right.

but it is common for the proximity of another plural to shade this issue, and you could probably expect to "get away with" 1

suzi

Joined on Wed, Jan 7 2004

Full Member (465)

Plurals, Verbs

maj

#20261 Sat, 24 Jan 04 10:49 PM

Indeed, what really influences the future of people's career is their
achievements, or better to say, their success in one or another field in school.

Number 3. I think number 3 is the correct one for what is the subject and needs a third person. Then, career is also singular and needs another 3rd person singular.

maj

Joined on Mon, Mar 31 2003

Senior Member (4,756)

Numbers

buggah

#20279 Sun, 25 Jan 04 03:55 AM

That's it then. Number 3! Thank you all for your help!

buggah

Numbers