Advertisement
Is this correct? I find I can't tell anymore.
"The architects have provided the ribbons and the balloons, but few if any of the plans are likely to be carried out."
"The architects have provided the ribbons and the balloons, but few if any of the plans are likely to be carried out."
posted by:
|
Advertisement
Advertisement
-
Re: Grammar
Thu, June 11, 2009 - 3:17 PM>"The architects have provided the ribbons and the balloons, but few if any of the plans are likely to be carried out."
The architects have provided the ribbons and balloons, but few, if any, of the plans are likely to be carried out.
Better? -
-
Re: Grammar
Thu, June 11, 2009 - 3:29 PMNo, I was just thinking, "any" is singular, and "are" is plural. -
-
Re: Grammar
Thu, June 11, 2009 - 4:10 PMHow's this?
The architects have provided the ribbons and balloons, but few, perhaps none, of the plans are likely to be carried out. -
-
Re: Grammar
Thu, June 11, 2009 - 4:23 PMI was thinking "is" instead of "are." How would that suit you?
-
-
Re: Grammar
Thu, June 11, 2009 - 6:11 PM"plans are"
plans - plural, hence 'are'...
-
-
-
Re: Grammar
Fri, June 12, 2009 - 11:26 AM"Any" does not interact with the verb in this sentence. Therefore, it doesn't matter if it's singular or plural. "Few" is plural, therefore the verb is plural.
The fact that the sentence still works without "if any" means that "if any" is a clause and need not be present.
"The architects have provided the ribbons and the balloons, but few of the plans are likely to be used."
This is correct. If you use "if any" it must be set off on both sides by commas, allowing the reader to know it's necessary to the sentence.
I AM the Grammar Queen! Hoo-ah! -
-
Re: Grammar
Sat, June 13, 2009 - 11:24 AMAh. So, in fact my sentence is not correct because "if any" is not set off by commas.
OK, Grammar Queen, but how about this: "Students must not be late. Any [one, or student] who plans to be late must report to his teacher." -
-
Re: Grammar
Sat, June 13, 2009 - 12:28 PM{"Students must not be late. Any [one, or student] who plans to be late must report to his teacher." }
How about eliminating the need for a gender specific construction: "Students must not be late. Any who plan to be late must report to their teachers."
And it would probably be a good idea to add "beforehand" after "teachers." Unless, of course, you want them to report to their teachers after they already are late. -
-
-
Re: Grammar
Mon, June 15, 2009 - 2:39 PMI was always told you can never, ever, ever, never, ever use "their" in conjunction with a general, non-gendered subject.
So, "any student must report to his/her teacher" or "anyone must report to his/her teacher" is editorially the only way to do that.
"If you plan to… see your teacher," would avoid the his/her or their issue entirely. Though it changes the point of view.
Or you could drop the possessive entirely. "Any student must report to the classroom teacher." Sounds a little iffy, as if there should be a possessive in there, but it all depends on what teacher they need to report to. Is it a general teacher, or a specific teacher? Like, is it one person, or does each student report to a different person. "Report to your chaperone." "Report to the chaperone." -
-
Re: Grammar
Mon, June 15, 2009 - 5:52 PMI remember learning that the fallback for non-gendered subject defaults to "his." A student should report to his teacher.
Later, it became an issue of gender and being politically correct. I remember my college roommate discussing what should be the generic term for manhole cover, because we should not assume that a worker is male. While technically incorrect, the default to their seemed to gain acceptance as a compromise between assuming gender and the unwieldy option of stating "his or her" at every point.
-
-
Re: Grammar
Tue, June 16, 2009 - 9:02 AMI understand, Heather. "Their" is being accepted more and more. But still every English/Grammar teacher and most professors, undoubtedly editors too, will correct you in a "formal" writing. In informal writing, I think you can get away with it. (You can almost get away with anything.)
-
-
Re: Grammar
Mon, June 15, 2009 - 10:21 PM{I was always told you can never, ever, ever, never, ever use "their" in conjunction with a general, non-gendered subject.}
If you turn the subject plural you can. I was always told to never split an infinitive, but I just did and others do it all the time.
The operative rule here, as Orwell puts it: "Break any of these rules rather than say something outright barbarous."
-
-
-
Re: Grammar
Sat, June 13, 2009 - 3:17 PMThe question of singular or plural in verb agreement for the word "any" is determined by the context within the sentence. Any can stand alone as the subject or can modify another word, therefore taking the case from the modification.
Any students who plan to be late must report to the teacher.
Any who plans to be late.....
Any member of the group is capable of playing an instrument.
Any type of bug is creepy.
Any bugs are creepy.
Any sugar is bad for diabetics.
Any meats are bad for cholesterol.
-
-
Re: Grammar
Sat, June 13, 2009 - 7:46 PMDang. You beat me to the punch, Heather. I was going to repost the comment that appeared earlier in the thread, which seems to be the applicable ruling here:
("Any" does not interact with the verb in this sentence. Therefore, it doesn't matter if it's singular or plural. "Few" is plural, therefore the verb is plural. )
In this case "who" can be either plural or singular, but in the context it is plural.
-
Re: Grammar
Mon, June 15, 2009 - 6:34 PMall students who arrive to school late must report to the main office! -
-
Re: Grammar
Tue, June 16, 2009 - 11:46 AM<all students who arrive to school late must report to the main office! >
Wouldn't the correct preposition be "at," rather than "to?" You arrive at a destination. You don't arrive to a destination; you get to a destination. -
-
Re: Grammar
Tue, June 16, 2009 - 12:33 PMNo, "to" is correct there. The main office is understood as an "entity" in this situation. As in, you're going there to talk to the office, you're going there to talk to the people there. That is the location where the people are you need to talk to, but it's not specific about which person you talk to. If you needed to report to the principal, for example, you could be waiting at the main office for almost an hour – which would make you even later. If you could just as easily report to the assistant Vice Principal, or one of the secretaries – all house in the main office – you'll make it to class more quickly. -
-
Re: Grammar
Tue, June 16, 2009 - 1:36 PMI think he was addressing "to school", not "to the main office". -
-
Re: Grammar
Tue, June 16, 2009 - 1:59 PMYeah… that would make sense. Maybe I oughtta actually read things before answering, eh?
Yes, arrive "at" school.
-
Re: Grammar
Wed, June 17, 2009 - 6:43 AMStudents! Come to the main office to get a tardy pass fromt he secretary if you arrive on campus more than one minute after the bell has rung.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
