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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

They with "one" vs. "ones"

XYZ Maintenance is the company assigned to your property.
A.  They are the ones to look at your problems.
B.  They are the one to look at your problems.

1.  Which of the above is correct?  My guess is B because it is referring to only one company wich is XYZ Maintenance.

2.  However, can it also be A because "They" is plural and matches with "ones"?

3.  To begin with, I used "They" because they sound more correct to my ear than "It" ie. It is the one to look at your problems.  I'm not sure about this, though.  Should it be "They" or "It"?

I would very much appreciate your help here, please.
  

Top answer

XYZ Maintenance is the company assigned to your property. A. They are the ones to look at your problems.

— Mister Micawber

  • XYZ Maintenance is the company assigned to your property.
  • A.
  • They are the ones to look at your problems.
  • B.
  • It is the one to look at your problems.
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4 Answers
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XYZ Maintenance is the company assigned to your property.
A. They are the ones to look at your problems.
B. It is the one to look at your problems.

If you wish to be grammatical, those are your choices.
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Thank you for your helpful answer.
I would do as you've explained.
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Just a follow up question: Is it never correct to say "They are the one" even in informal speech or writing?
I googled the phrase "They are the one" in quotes and got 236,000,000 results. Do native speakers sometimes say it?
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Yes, they certainly say it, but it is not careful grammar.
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