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Rajivvyas Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Crux of the problem has been vs. crux of the problems have been

Which is grammatically more accurate? I thought that when we refer to “crux” it usually means a main problem and hence needs to be singular.

Thanks,
  

Top answer

The plural forms are cruxes and cruces, but I've only heard the singular form in the expression "crux of the problem".

— Milky

  • The plural forms are cruxes and cruces, but I've only heard the singular form in the expression "crux of the problem".
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11 Answers
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The plural forms are cruxes and cruces, but I've only heard the singular form in the expression "crux of the problem".
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I agree that I've only heard "crux." My thinking is that when you get to a point like this, and you're trying to use a figure of speech and have to manipulate it to fully apply to your situation, then it's time to rewrite.

The main issue central to all of these problems is...

The issue that all of these problems have in common...

These problems share the same hurdle: ..
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Hi! Barbara, I found “The Crux of the Problems of Agriculture” in a Chinese website, and tried to find alternatives to express that.Your comment is very helpful. Thank you.
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Hi,

As stated earlier, 'crux' is singular. If it is the subject, you need a singular verb. Thus, it's simply ungrammatical to say the crux of the problems have been.

Whether three problems can have a single crux is an issue of meaning, not of grammar.

Best wishes, Clive

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Rajivvyas
Which is grammatically more accurate? I thought that when we refer to “crux” it usually means a main problem and hence needs to be singular.

Thanks,



This is the first time I heard “crux” use in reference to problems. I understand “core” of the problem is commonly used.











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<This is the first time I heard “crux” use in reference to problems. I understand “core” of the problem is commonly used.>

It's fairly common:


325,000 English pages for "crux of the
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Interesting........ honestly, I never heard people using "crux" referencing to problem which is something we deal with daily.

Learned something today!
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Clive:
"As stated earlier, 'crux' is singular. If it is the subject, you need a singular verb. Thus, it's simply ungrammatical to say the crux of the problems have been."

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's ungrammatical. Lots of speakers make the verb agree with the closest noun.
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Hi Alienverd,

Lots of speakers make the verb agree with the closest noun.

I'm afraid I don't understand. I'm sure you're not suggesting I can say 'The owner of these books are intelligent'.

What kind of example are you thinking of?

Best wishes, Clive
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Yeah, I'm confused.
"the crux of the problems have been" sounds better than "The owner of these books are intelligent." Maybe it's just because "crux" sounds like it could be a plural noun. Just ignore my previous comment.
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