By Constructions, Singular verbs

The language seems to be undergoing a change in the agreement rules for there constructions.In casual speech the singular verb seems to satisfy many people, no matter what follows! (Compare hay in Spanish -- there is/are -- always singular.)I'm guilty of the same, especially with contracted...

What sometimes seems to have a plural force but nevertheless requires a singular verb. Clearly we would say What is needed is a spotlight, but what if spotlights - the plural form - is used.instead. The options are these: What is needed here is spotlights. ? What are needed are...

Philip wrote: Yoong Liat wrote: Anduy wrote:Everyone looks like they are enjoying the party.Everyone look like they are enjoying the party.Please tell me which sentence is the correct one.Thank you. Although 'everyone' means 'all the people', a singular verb has to be used. Every apple is...

Yoong Liat wrote: Anduy wrote:Everyone looks like they are enjoying the party.Everyone look like they are enjoying the party.Please tell me which sentence is the correct one.Thank you. Although 'everyone' means 'all the people', a singular verb has to be used. Every apple is rotten. Every...

Anduy wrote:Everyone looks like they are enjoying the party.Everyone look like they are enjoying the party.Please tell me which sentence is the correct one.Thank you. Although 'everyone' means 'all the people', a singular verb has to be used. Every apple is rotten. Every one of the apples is...

Hamza wrote:Which is the correct construction? A number of people like ice-cream. A number of people likes ice-cream. I was confused because if we are talking about number than it should be likes.. Right???Use a plural verb after "A number of ... " Use a singular verb after "The number...

1. There is a boy and a girl in the playground. 2. There is a boy, a girl and an old man in the playground. 3. There is a boy and two girls in the playground. 4. There are two girls and a boy in the playground. Some language experts now regard there is as a fixed, unvarying idiom that can...

Maple wrote:There are bugs in English grammar systems while handing number problems, as I observed, but as for this very sentence, I vote for know. Hi, I'd personally say I'm one of those kids who think, too. I only wanted to say that, if native speakers and writers choose to use both and...

Tanit wrote: Hi, good question! I was wandering whether a slightly different point of view exists as for the subject of the sentence: He is one that knows the solution to the problem. or He is one of the few that know the solution to the problem. After some...

Zj.frank wrote:Dear all: He is one of the few that knows the solution to the problem. or He is one of the few that know the solution to the problem. Do the two "that"s denote different things? Shall we say that the first "that" denotes "he" while the second "that" denotes "the few"? If...