| Title of the piece: | English Grammar Quiz Answers |
|---|---|
| Author: | magazine staff |
| First published: | here: now |
| Copyright: | public domain |
1. This is one of the ships that (was / were) loaned to England during World War II.
The relative pronoun 'that' begins the subordinate clause. Its number is determined by the plural noun to which it refers, 'ships,' which requires a plural verb.
[Note: Grammarian James J. Kilpatrick once wrote a column on whether singular or plural verbs should be used in sentences of this construction. He decided that the plural is the preferred choice, but only after consulting Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, whose weighty conclusion he wryly summarized as, "plural is better, but singular is OK."]
2. Any of these authorities (is / are) reliable.
Both are correct. 'Any' may be either singular or plural, depending on the intention of the writer. If 'is' is used, it means any one is reliable. If 'are' is used, it means all are reliable.
[Note: The Grammar Doctor, Sue Coffman, disagrees with this answer, and always prescribes a singular verb when 'any' is the subject of a sentence.
3. The captain, as well as the coaches, (were / was) disappointed by the team.
The phrase 'as well as . . .' does not affect the number of the subject. 'Captain' takes a singular verb.
4. Broadway at 48th Street and the surrounding area (is / are) known as Tin Pan Alley.
When a compound subject is considered a unit, and not as two or more distinct entities, it takes a singular verb.
[Note: Weighing in again, The Grammar Doctor states that the answer should be are. When other examples of compound subjects considered as a unit were cited (e. g.; "Macaroni and cheese is the cafeteria special on Friday," and "The sum and substance of the speech was anti-American"), she pointed out, probably rightly, that the subjects in the examples were dissimilar in linguistic nature to the subjects contained in the quiz question.]
5. Either the lawyers or the judge (are / is) wrong.
When two subjects, one singular and one plural, are joined by the coordinating conjunction 'or,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
6. Neither the turkey nor the apples (have / has) been delivered.
See the answer to #5. The 'or' rule also applies to 'nor.'
7. The family (have / has) agreed among themselves to present a solid front.
A collective noun may be either singular or plural, depending on the intent of the speaker. Here, the use of the phrase 'among themselves' signals a plural intention.
8. Three years in a foreign land (seems / seem) like a long time.
Words denoting amount (time, money, measurement, weight, volume, fractions) are singular, unless affected by a plural word in a phrase that follows. Compare: "Three fourths of his loss has been recovered," to "Three fourths of his losses have been recovered."
9. Neither Jack nor Dick had (his / their) degree.
Two or more singular antecedents joined by 'or' or 'nor' are referred to by a singular pronoun. But, for God's sake, Jack and Dick don't have their degree, they have their degrees.
10. If anyone calls, please tell (him or her / them) I'll be back later.
The words 'each,' 'either,' 'neither,' 'one,' 'everyone,' 'everybody,' 'no one,' 'nobody,' 'anyone,' 'anybody,' 'someone,' and 'somebody' are referred to by a singular pronoun. English doesn't have a singular objective pronoun that refers to both sexes, just as it didn't until recently have a title of respect for an adult woman whose marital status was unknown, so both him and her must be used in the sentence.
11. Are you one of the boys who (was / were) tardy?
The number of the relative pronoun 'who' is determined by the number of its antecedent 'boys.' A relative pronoun introduces a subordinate clause, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. See the answer and note to Question #1.
12. Dad bought the typewriter for my brother and (I / me).
The objects of prepositions take the objective case.
13. He is a man (who / whom), I think, should be rewarded.
The case of the pronoun beginning a subordinate clause is determined by its use in the clause which it begins. Here 'who' is the subject of the clause, and thus it is nominative, not objective.
14. I was surprised by the (child / child's) asking such a question.
The possessive case of a noun is used to precede a gerund which it possesses. Thus, for example, 'Do you object to my being present?' not 'Do you object to me being present?'
[Note: The Grammar Doctor says no one pays attention to this rule anymore.
15. (Who / Whom) did you think me to be?
The subject of an infinitive is in the objective case: 'You did think me to be whom?'
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