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Chivalry Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Isn't the grammar in this passage incorrect?

In my opinion the following paragraph has some misuse of singular form in that it comes as

"These bonds that you build with the people you see and live with every day are what makes a community, what turns a place from an address to home."

Isn't the word "makes" right there obviously erroneaus?

Because, in my opinion, the subject is a pluralized term(these bonds), how come it's attached to a singular noun that's supposed to stand for it?

Thanks for answering in advance.
  

Top answer

Strictly speaking you are correct. However, I read the sentence in question without noticing anything wrong until I read your question. So I guess the bottom line is that it's acceptable to a native speaker even if it is technically incorrect.

— Anonymous

  • Strictly speaking you are correct.
  • However, I read the sentence in question without noticing anything wrong until I read your question.
  • So I guess the bottom line is that it's acceptable to a native speaker even if it is technically incorrect.
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13 Answers
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Strictly speaking you are correct. However, I read the sentence in question without noticing anything wrong until I read your question. So I guess the bottom line is that it's acceptable to a native speaker even if it is technically incorrect.
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chivalryThese bonds . . . . are what makes a community . . . .
***It seems to me that "what" is singular, regardless of the antecedent.***Edit. This statement is clearly incorrect! Within the clause "what makes a community," the singular verb is correct.

Edit.
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Dear Chivalry

You are right. As the sentence is written, it should have been..

- These bonds .. make a community ..

The author could have said or written something like: "The bonds that we build with other people: that is what makes a community". And then the "makes" would have been OK

Dave
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AvangiI'm sure we'd ask, "What are the rules?"
Yes, and the subject is plural - rules.

Compare with:

What is the matter?

What's the beef?

I think the original text is OK if referent is being treated as a singular collection. - The combination of all the bonds together makes a community.

On second thought, the
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Thanks, A/S. I made a mess of this.

So you could say "We are what makes this community," or "We are what make this community,"

depending on what you mean?

The more I say it the less certain I am!
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This one is deceptive... indeed, I had second thoughts about it!
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dave_anonit should have been..
- These bonds .. make a community ..
Hi, Dave.
Do you mean Chivalry should have eliminated the relative clause, or do you mean the sentence should correctly be,

"These bonds that you build with the people you see and live with every day are what make a community . . . . "?

I agree that your replacement c
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Hi

I was just agreeing with Chivalry. One reason I decided that was by taking everything out of the sentence except the relevant bits. (It was just my idiomatic way of thinking about the problem)..

- These bonds .. makes a community

- These bonds .. make a community

The first sounds definitely wrong; the second one, I'm sure, is right.

Once that is deci
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Thanks, dave. I follow you.

I'm still toying with the idea that in some cases something similar to notional concord may apply.

I need to sleep on it.

- A.
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dave_anon
Best regards - do get back to me - Dave
That's a good piece of reasoning, Dave! Thanks.
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