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DeerMusic Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

This is not right, but I am not sure why.

I know there is something wrong with the following sentence. I am simply not sure what it is.

"The questionnaire itself is expected to take no more than 30 minutes to complete and returning them will consist of the students dropping off the completed packets."

Diana
  

Top answer

" All I see is a slight agreement problem. " There's nothing wrong with switching number, but the pronoun "them" has no proper plural antecedent. The pronoun needs to be replaced by a regular plural noun.

— Avangi

  • " All I see is a slight agreement problem.
  • " There's nothing wrong with switching number, but the pronoun "them" has no proper plural antecedent.
  • The pronoun needs to be replaced by a regular plural noun.
  • " .
  • .
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3 Answers
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DeerMusicThe questionnaire itself is expected to take no more than 30 minutes to complete and returning them will consist of the students dropping off the completed packets."
All I see is a slight agreement problem. In the first clause, the subject is singular, "the questionaire." In the second clause we're suddenly talking about multiple questionaires, a
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Thank you. I was concerned about the use of "consist of," but once you fix the agreement, it doesn't sound as bad.
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I was about to add (you're so quick!) that there are two uses of "to consist," one using "of" and one using "in." I don't think most people would bother with it. I sometimes find that these things are just considered old-fashioned.

Anyway, IMHO, it should be "consist in."

For example, "My breakfast consists of six eggs and a pound of bacon. My prob
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