Singular or plural
Dear All,
All she heard was scary voices.
All she heard were scary voices.
I am assuming the first one(WAS) is right? Correct me if I am wrong.
Thank you.
Top answer
In these constructions both the singular and plural are possible when the subject complement is plural. It seems to me that writers choose mostly according to what "sounds right" to them. The following examples were found in the Google Books corpus.
- In these constructions both the singular and plural are possible when the subject complement is plural.
- It seems to me that writers choose mostly according to what "sounds right" to them.
- The following examples were found in the Google Books corpus.
- All I heard were my footsteps echoing in the church.
- For a long moment all I heard was the lapping waters and the party's tinkling piano.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
In these constructions both the singular and plural are possible when the subject complement is plural.
It seems to me that writers choose mostly according to what "sounds right" to them. The following examples were found in the Google Books corpus.
All I heard were my footsteps echoing in the church.
For a long moment all I heard was the lapping waters and the party
0
Related Questions