Has or Have Plural subject or not?

Question

I can't figure this one out.The sentence is either:About 1 in 3 US adults has it.ORAbout 1 in 3 US adults have it.Now I am inclined towards have it because of I thought that "adults" was the subject with 1 in 3 being the prepositional phrase, but a few people have told me this may not be right.Can someone please help!?-kitty

Avangi · Accepted Answer

"One" is the subject. (singular)

I'd be inclined to call "about" an adjective in this sentence.

Mr Wordy · Answer

This is a well known question. Some people think that the verb should strictly agree with "one" and therefore be singular, while others believe that that "one in three US adults" is talking about a plurality of people so the verb should be plural. I am in the latter camp.

In your example, the word "about" introduces a twist. "out of these three adults, about one has it" does not really make sense (either you have it or you don't), which seems another good reason to use "have".

Avangi · Answer

My edit correcting "about" to an adverb wasn't quite quick enough.

I must admit I can't imagine what it modifies as an adverb.

Perhaps the designation is on the basis that it answers the question, "What is this all about?"

Or perhaps it's based on the fact that "one" is sometimes an adjective, so adverbs modify adjectives.

Or perhaps it's based on "elipsis." We really mean, "About one person."

"Person" is the real subject. (still singular)

Dimsumexpress · Answer

This must be one of those BrE and AmE hiccups. I follow the singular rule myself.
Any, every, some -will take a singular verb.

Avangi · Answer

Anonymouswith 1 in 3 being the prepositional phrase,

Anon, I realize you didn't ask about "about," but for some reason when I read "1 in 3 being the prepositional phrase" I thought you meant "about 1 in 3."

Anonymous · Answer

Hi thanks for the feedback so far,

I do mean "about 1 in 3" being a prepositional phrase.

(BTW the it is "influenza" for the curious)

-kitty

BarbaraPA · Answer

I would use the plural as well. There are more than three adults in the US, so clearly, talking about "one in three" is more than one person. It's only logical to me that you mean many people.

And I agree with Mr. Wordy that adding the "about" makes it even more logical to use the plural.

It means about 10 of 30 adults, or about 30-35 of 100 adults... etc.

Avangi · Answer

So based on the consensus reasoning, it would be correct to say, In the US, about one person in five are an immigrant.

Well, maybe "about one person in five are immigrants."

BarbaraPA · Answer

AvangiSo based on the consensus reasoning, it would be correct to say, In the US, about one person in five are an immigrant. Well, maybe "about one person in five are immigrants."

Yes, the latter.
I wouldn't object to one person in five is an immigrant, but I'd write the latter myself.

Has or Have Plural subject or not?

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