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May 23, 2000
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
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An indefinite pronoun is a word that replaces a noun but does not refer to a specific person, place, or thing.
Some indefinite pronouns always take singular verbs, others always take plural verbs, and still others may take singular or plural verbs. This week we're going to discuss the indefinite pronouns that always take singular or plural verbs.
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INDEFINITE PRONOUNS USED WITH SINGULAR VERBS
The following indefinite pronouns ALWAYS take singular verbs: anybody, anyone, each, everybody, everyone, nobody, no one, somebody, someone.
EXAMPLES:
Anybody who wants to use correct grammar can enter the contest.
(Anybody = singular indefinite pronoun; wants = singular verb)
Nobody likes to visit Aunt Tillie.
(Nobody = singular indefinite pronoun; likes = singular verb)
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INDEFINITE PRONOUNS USED WITH PLURAL VERBS
The following indefinite pronouns ALWAYS take plural verbs: few, many, several.
EXAMPLES:
Few people like to study grammar.
(Few = plural indefinite pronoun; like = plural verb)
Many volunteer, but few are chosen.
(Many = plural indefinite pronoun; volunteer = plural verb)
(few = plural indefinite pronoun; are = plural verb)
Several of us wish to visit our parents.
(Several = plural indefinite pronoun; wish = plural verb)
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Next week we'll look at indefinite pronouns that take singular or plural verbs, depending on context. They're the ones that give most people problems.
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PRACTICE
1. Each of the books (is/are) due today.
2. Several of my kin (is/are) going to college next week.
3. Everybody in both towns (is/are) excited about the fair.
4. Someone in each of the rooms (is/are) interested in playing the game.
5. Many of us (plan/plans) to take the test tomorrow.
Answers will be posted in next week's issue.
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CHECK OUT OUR NEW INDEX AND ARCHIVES
Subscribers to GrammarCheck can now access past issues and an index of topics at the following web site address:
http://www.grammarcheck.com/archives
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LAST WEEK'S SPELLING TIP ANSWERS
Here are the correct answers to last week's "homonym" spelling quiz:
1. Joan and Jerry decided to see a marriage COUNSELOR.
2. Sheila fears that BEARING a child will be painful.
3. The old sailor warned us to avoid the approaching GALE.
4. Have you noticed the crowded grocery store AISLES?
5. Who wrote the song about a one-horse SLEIGH?
6. Mrs. Paula Keel is the new high school PRINCIPAL.
7. When the play ended, all the actors took a BOW.
8. The thieves escaped with a huge SUM of money.
9. A favorite children's TALE is about three little pigs.
10. Joe lives by the saying, "Eat, drink, and be MERRY."
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: Gentlemen, women can be chairmen. They can be airmen. They can be firemen, policemen, and dog catchers. They can be fellows of a college. Stop trying to change grammar. Learn from usage that evolved rather than that which is dictated. (Ed)
GRAMMARCHECK: Sorry, Ed. We're not with you on this one, except your statement that women (and men) can be dog catchers (a gender neutral term). If what you say is true, then I suppose you believe that men can be chairwomen, and male police officers can be policewomen. We're not insisting that you use gender neutral terms, but if you happen to call a group of policemen "policewomen" (and vice versa), don't be surprised by their reaction. And by the way, we're not all of us gentlemen at this site! :-)
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QUESTION: In the May 16th issue, you answered a reader's question regarding your use of "two" rather than "too" in a listing, and then went on to defend the use of "none" in a singular sense. I think you need another look at what you wrote, "Several indefinite pronouns (like "none") can be singular or plural, depending on the noun they refer to." Wouldn't this sentence be more correctly written with the final dependent clause as "depending on the noun to which it refers," thereby eliminating the need for the dangling participle, and correctly modifying the case for the indefinite pronoun, which is singular in actual usage?
GRAMMARCHECK: Gee whiz, our typographical error wasn't that bad. Instead of a homonym example appearing as "to/too/two," it appeared as "to/to/two" (with a missing "o" on the second "to"). Regarding your comments about indefinite pronouns, our example is correct. "They" (plural) refers to "several indefinite pronouns" (plural), not to "none." Your sentence would be correct if it had ended as follows: "depending on the noun to which they refer." We like the corrected version of your sentence better than our original, but it isn't more correctly written.
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QUESTION: Well, I have no clue where to begin! I am a writer with really bad grammar and I was wondering what I can do to save myself from embarrassment. Thanks. (Renee)
GRAMMARCHECK: Enroll in a credit (or non-credit) business writing class at your local community college or university. Business writing emphasizes the use of correct grammar, so you should begin to get good results right away. Naturally, you'll want to continue receiving this column as well!
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QUESTION: I proofed a script my boss wants to submit to Disney and, of course, we have a couple disagreements.
Correction #1: At a baseball game, a fan is shouting, "Let's go Dodgers!" I corrected that to read, "Let's go, Dodgers" (inserted a comma). He disagreed. What is the rule covering this?
Correction #2: "You must give 30 days notice." I corrected to read "30 days' notice." Now I feel insecure about that.
Thank you for your help. (Kathleen)
GRAMMARCHECK: It sounds as if Miss Manners is lurking over someone's shoulder and behaving disagreeably in recommending correct spoken grammar by a manic baseball fan. However, to give Miss Manners her due (for even sporting events require proper etiquette and accurate grammar), here's how your examples should be punctuated.
#1: Let's go, Dodgers!
#2: You must give 30 days' notice.
Congratulations, Kathleen. You are correct on both counts. It always helps to submit accurate material to those with authority to accept or reject it.
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QUESTION: It was my understanding that "none" always requires a singular verb. I make the comparison of none to one. The word one always requires a singular verb.
One of the men is my brother. (Clearly this sentence is correct.)
My point is none is less than one. If one is always singular, then how can none sometimes be plural?
GRAMMARCHECK: Your argument makes sense, but you're trying to apply logic to grammar, and grammatical rules aren't always logical. (You also are trying to combine math with English--an academic no-no!) First, none does not always require a singular verb. It can be singular or plural regardless of whether none is less than one. You are correct, however, that one always requires a singular verb.
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