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Belly Posted 19 years ago
Grammar
Please answer mine
Nothing but two beds are in the room
or
Nothing but two beds is in the room?
Mr Brown with his son is waiting for the bus to come
or
Mr Brown with his son are waiting for the bus to come
?
Top answer
Hi, I'd say: Nothing but two beds are in the room. <-- just because it sounds better to me Mr Brown with his son is waiting for the bus to come. <--- I thin the subject is Mr.
- Hi, I'd say: Nothing but two beds are in the room.
- <-- just because it sounds better to me Mr Brown with his son is waiting for the bus to come.
- <--- I thin the subject is Mr.
- Brown.
- Anyway, I'd prefer to say "Mr.
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7 Answers
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Hi,
I'd say:
Nothing but two beds are in the room. <-- just because it sounds better to me
Mr Brown with his son is waiting for the bus to come. <--- I thin the subject is Mr. Brown.
Anyway, I'd prefer to say "Mr. Brown and his son are waiting..."
I'd say:
Nothing but two beds are in the room. <-- just because it sounds better to me
Mr Brown with his son is waiting for the bus to come. <--- I thin the subject is Mr. Brown.
Anyway, I'd prefer to say "Mr. Brown and his son are waiting..."
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Nothing but two beds are in the room. (incorrect) Nothing but two beds is in the room. (correct)Mr Brown, with his son, is waiting for the bus to come. (Correct. Note the commas.) Mr Brown with his son are waiting for the bus to come. (incorrect) |
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BellyCould you please explain why they are incorrect, please, yoongliat?
Nothing but two beds is in the room. (Nothing is in the room but two beds.) Mr Brown, with his son, is waiting for the bus to come. (Mr Brown is waiting with his son |
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sometimes it helps in these cases if you think of 'nothing' as meaning 'not one thing'.
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Hi,
I wouldn't use a singular verb... I guess this has a name, maybe it's called notional agreement, or something like that. Here's some examples of what I would say:
There is nothing but two beds.
Nothing is there but two beds.
Nothing but two beds are in the room.
A group is playing here and another group is playing over there.
I wouldn't use a singular verb... I guess this has a name, maybe it's called notional agreement, or something like that. Here's some examples of what I would say:
There is nothing but two beds.
Nothing is there but two beds.
Nothing but two beds are in the room.
A group is playing here and another group is playing over there.
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I would say these the same as Kooyeen does.
I suspect the term you were looking for is 'agreement by proximity', by the way, not 'notional agreement'.
CJ
I suspect the term you were looking for is 'agreement by proximity', by the way, not 'notional agreement'.
CJ
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