correction needed

Question

Hi

1): 1. They were respectful in their behaviour.

Or

2. They were respectful in their behaviours.

I just need to know that should i be using a plural form or a singular form when they is used. Or is it that it depends on context?

2: Should we use every other verb used in a sentence in past tense once a verb before the one in question has been introduced using past tense?... Or does it depend on context?...

e.g. I knew he said i was mad. (Is right); and

I knew he said i am mad. (Is wrong).

Could anyone please explain why?..

Thanks

Grammarian-bot · Accepted Answer

They were respectful in their behavior(s).

The thing that matters here is the context. If the behavior refers to the behavior of a whole group, the it should be a singular (behavior) but if the context says that every one of them was meeting you seperately and everyone's behavior was respectful then it should be behaviors.

I knew he said i was mad.

I knew he said i am mad.

There is no grammatical mistake in the above two statements. Both of them are correct but differ in meaning. In the first example, the word mad has a metaphorical meaning - i was angry. In second, the word mad has a litteral meaning - i was actually mad.

Writers jump from tense to tense (logically) to add vividness and to give a touch of continuity.

GB

correction needed

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