The Century Handbook of Writing Part 26

5. I had not heard of (his, him) being sick. She does not approve of (our, us) being late to dinner. (They, them) who labor now the Master will reward.

=Number=

=51a. _Each_, _every_, _every one_, _everybody_, _anybody_, _either_, _neither_, _no one_, _n.o.body_, and similar words are singular.=

Wrong: Everybody did their best.

Right: Everybody did his best.

Wrong: Each of my three friends were there.

Right: Each of my three friends was there.

Wrong: Either of the candidates are capable of making a good officer.

Right: Either of the candidates is capable of making a good officer.

=b. Do not let _this_ or _that_ when modifying _kind_ or _sort_ be attracted into the plural by a following noun.=

Wrong: He knew nothing of those kind of activities.

Right: He knew nothing of that kind of activities.

Wrong: I never did like these sort of post cards.

Right: I never did like this sort of post cards.

=c. Collective nouns may be regarded as singular or plural, according to the meaning intended.=

Right: The crowd is waiting.

Right: The crowd are not agreed.

Right: Webster maintained that the United States is an inseparable union; Hayne that the United States are a separable union.

English usage: The government were considering a new bill regarding labor.

American usage: The government was glad to place our troops at the disposal of General Foch.

=d. Do not use _don't_ in the third person singular. Use _doesn't_.

_Don't_ is contraction of _do not_.=

Wrong: He don't get up early on Sunday morning.

Right: He doesn't get up early on Sunday morning.

Exercise:

1. She said not to buy those sort of carpet tacks. These kind of apples won't keep. I don't care for these boasting kind of travelers.

2. Neither of us were in condition to run the race. Every one a.s.sured Mrs. Merton they had spent a pleasant evening.

3. He don't suffer much now. I don't care if she don't come today.

4. Each of us in that dismal waiting room were angry with the agent for telling us the train was not late.

5. No one of the girls will tell their age. It don't matter.

=Agreement=

=52a. A verb agrees in number with the subject, not with a noun which intervenes between it and the subject.=

Wrong: The size of the plantations vary.

Right: The size of the plantations varies.

Wrong: The increasing use of luxuries are a menace to the country.

Right: The increasing use of luxuries is a menace to the country.

Wrong: The prices of grain fluctuates in response to the demand.

Right: The prices of grain fluctuate in response to the demand.

[Or] The price of grain fluctuates in response to the demand.

=b. The number of the verb is not affected by the addition to the subject of words introduced by _with_, _together with_, _no less than_, _as well as_, and the like.=

Wrong: The mayor of the city, as well as several aldermen, have investigated the charges.

Right: The mayor of the city, as well as several aldermen, has investigated the charges.

=c. Singular subjects joined by _or_ or _nor_ take a singular verb.=

Wrong: Either the second or the third of the plans they have devised are acceptable.

Right: Either the second or the third of the plans they have devised is acceptable.

=d. A subject consisting of two or more nouns joined by _and_ takes a plural verb.=

Right: The hunting and fis.h.i.+ng are good.

=e. A verb should agree in number with the subject, not with a predicate noun.=

Wrong: The weak point in the team were the fielders.

Right: The weak point in the team was the fielders.