General Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
subject and verb concord

Which form of the verb apply here?
Peter is one of the boys who [like /likes ]playing football.

Re: subject and verb concord

The answer is plural "like". A useful way to prove that a plural verb is correct in examples like yours is to front the preposition phrase:

1. "Of the boys (pl) who like (pl) playing football, Peter is one". (CORRECT)

2. "Of the boys (pl) who likes (sing) playing football, Peter is one". (WRONG)

In 1. plural "boys" matches plural "like", so "like" must be correct. But in 2. plural "boys" and singular "likes" is a mismatch, so "likes" must be wrong.

See what I mean?

Paul

Re: subject and verb concord

Shouldn't the verb form be plural? That is, applies versus apply. Please correct me

Re: subject and verb concord

I have got it clearly now.
The verb 'is' agrees with the subject Peter (singular),
and the prepositional phrase 'of the boys' (plural)
forms the subject of the verb 'like'.
Which is third person plural.
I'm pleased with your great help, thanks.

Re: subject and verb concord

I'm talking about sentence (1)When you say, which form of the verb apply here, are you really asking: which form of the verb applies here?

Re: subject and verb concord

Yes, you're right, Ralph.

And Humphrey - no, that's not correct. 'Who' is the subject with 'like' as the verb; and 'who' refers to 'boys', which is plural.

Re: subject and verb concord

I think Ralph is interested in the first sentence." Which form of the verb apply/applies here?"
In that sentence I took"which" to refer to both "likes and like" which would make the subject of that sentence. This is wrong because the "which" in my sentence complements the word "form" and together they make the subject of that sentence. "Form" here is singular and "applies" is the correct word to use.
So it is
Which form of the verb applies here?
Thanks
I'm so grateful.

Re: subject and verb concord

Humphrey
I think Ralph is interested in the first sentence." Which form of the verb apply/applies here?"
In that sentence I took"which" to refer to both "likes and like" which would make the subject of that sentence. This is wrong because the "which" in my sentence complements the word "form" and together they make the subject of that sentence. "Form" here is singular and "applies" is the correct word to use.
So it is
Which form of the verb applies here?
Thanks
I'm so grateful.


You're making this unnecessarily complicated. You made a mistake in the wording of your question - simple as that. It should have been "Which form of the verb apply applies here"? The choice of which verb form to use has nothing to do with "which", which is merely a determiner, but to do with the head word of the subject which is "form". "Form" is clearly singular and hence the singular verb form "applies" is correct. (cf. the plural version, "Which forms of the verb apply here").

Are you clear now?

PaulM

Re: subject and verb concord

Ralph Coles
Shouldn't the verb form be plural? That is, applies versus apply. Please correct me


Wake up, Ralph!

No, it should not.

"Applies" is singular; "apply" is plural.

PaulM