Among them/those being/is...

Question

a. Only certain people can leave the event. Chiefly among those/them is the elderly.

b. Only certain people can leave the even, chiefly amont those/them being the eldery.

Are these sentences above grammatical and should we use those or them in each case?

Thanks

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I think the second sentence in the first example needs a plural verb.

In the second example, "even" needs a "t." (Perhaps it's the one on "amont.")

In both examples, shouldn't "chiefly" be "chief" as the adjective complement of the being verb?

I sense a logical problem.

The subjects of your sentences, "certain people," are already a select group. So what's the antecedent of the pronoun(s)? (I'm taking "the elderly" as the subjects of the second clauses.)

Okay, I get it. It's a sub group of a sub group.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Say it the pink way.

Are you sure 'leave' is the correct word? What kind of event would only certain people be allowed to leave?

a. Only certain people can leave the event. Chiefly among those/them are the elderly.

Only certain people can leave the event. Chief among those/them is the elderly.

b. Only certain people can leave the event, chiefly amont those/them being the eldery.

Only certain people can leave the event, chief among those/them being the elderly.

Are these sentences above grammatical and should we use those or them in each case? Either

Clive

Avangi · Answer

hi, Clive,

a. Only certain people can leave the event. Chiefly among those/them are the elderly.

Only certain people can leave the event. Chief among those/them is the elderly.

I'm going color blind here. I think English wrote "is," but the blue is "are."
But the pink is "is."

I think I'd say, "The chief problem among the Americans is extravagance." (not really)

But I'd say, "Chief among the winners are Jane and Betty." (or, "the elderly")

Am I wrong?

Best wishes, - A.

Khoff · Answer

Maybe "the event" is life!

Clive · Answer

Hi Avangi,

I made a late-night, crude and inaccurate attempt to show that I'd treat 'the elderly' as plural here.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Clive

English 1b3 · Answer

Hi, I just want to confirm:

Only certain people can leave the event, chief among those/them being the elderly.

Question 1: Should I use those or them? Why?

Only certain people can leave the event. Chief among those/them is the elderly.

Question 2: I think elderly should be singular so is the above right?

Question 3: And again, them or those?

Question 4: Which version do you prefer below?

Only certain people can leave the event. The elderly is chief among those.

Only certain people can leave the event. Chief among those is the elderly.

Thank you

Clive · Answer

Hi,

I just want to confirm:

Only certain people can leave the event, chief among those/them being the elderly.

Question 1: Should I use those or them? Why? Both seem fine to me, and so similar that it's really just a matter of which sounds best to the ear.

Only certain people can leave the event. Chief among those/them is the elderly.

Question 2: I think elderly should be singular so is the above right? Yes. But I don't agree with your thought about 'elderly, in any of these questions.

Question 3: And again, them or those? As in Q1.

Question 4: Which version do you prefer below? #2. #1 sounds awkward to me.

Only certain people can leave the event. The elderly is chief among those.

Only certain people can leave the event. Chief among those is the elderly.

You didn't tell us what kind of event this might refer to.

Clive

Avangi · Answer

This all leaves me with the gnawing feeling of unfulfillment. Neither my ear nor my brain will accept "the elderly" as singular, but it continues to be accepted as such in this thread.

There are several collectives which can go either way, but I can't get my head around this one.

The music of several groups from the 60's continues to enchant us. Chief among them is/are The Beatles.
(The Beatles is/are chief among them.)

Assuming the game here is not necessarily to improve the sentence, we notice certain similarities with "Only certain people can leave the event." There's a sub group within a sub group.
The main group is referred to only indirectly. We have all the [popular musical] "groups" of the 60's, and we have all the various categories of people attending "the event." So there are groups of groups.

We select a sub group:
Certain categories of people are permitted to leave the event.
And certain musical groups continue to enchant us.

As to the them/those choice, I think the only reason to choose "those" would be the author's suspicion that the reader might otherwise be confused as to which group he is referring to. "Those" being demonstrative emphasizes the particular group mentioned. I think the distinction is totally unnecessary here, as it's abundantly obvious which group he's referring to. "Them" is the better choice.

So among them, one group stands out. The Beatles enchant us more.
It's not clear what makes the elderly the chief group. Perhaps they make up the category with the greatest number of members.

You can say "The Beatles is a group," and you can say "The Beatles are a group" because that happens to be the way it is. The word "group" is singular.

You can't say "the elderly is a group," IMHO, unless you're simply defining the term. I can't think of a single sentence in which I'd say "the elderly is . . . . . "
The elderly is all the people over a certain age. That's defining the concept. ("is" = "means")

You can say, "The chief category of people who may leave is the elderly."

Not, "Among the people who may leave is the elderly."

Avangi · Answer

Clive
Only certain people can leave the event. Chief among those/them is the elderly.

Question 2: I think elderly should be singular so is the above right? Yes. But I don't agree with your thought about 'elderly, in any of these questions. Sorry, Clive. I'm struggling here. I guess I misread this.

Regards, - A.

Clive · Answer

'Salright.

Clive

Among them/those being/is...

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions