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Ticce Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

This was or these were

How would you say it?

This was them (they) who were doing it.

These were they who were doing it.
  

Top answer

Ticce This was them (they) who were doing it. Simply "They were doing it" is best. If you want longer, try "This is the one who was doing it" "It was those guys/girls who were doing it" Ticce These were they who were doing it.

— BaldKingOfFrance

  • Ticce This was them (they) who were doing it.
  • Simply "They were doing it" is best.
  • If you want longer, try "This is the one who was doing it" "It was those guys/girls who were doing it" Ticce These were they who were doing it.
  • Again, simply "They were doing it" sounds best.
  • But you could say: "These are the one who were doing it" "It was those guys/girls who were doing it"
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6 Answers
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TicceThis was them (they) who were doing it.
Simply "They were doing it" is best.
If you want longer, try
"This is the one who was doing it"

"It was those guys/girls who were doing it"
TicceThese were they who were doing it.
Again, simply "They were doing it" sounds best.
But you could say:
"T
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Sorry, man but I was not asking how it would sound better after having being changed. You changed the sentences.
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TicceSorry, man but I was not asking how it would sound better after having being been changed. You changed the sentences.
If you insist: These were they who were doing it (but it sounds terrible).
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Sometimes we change the sentences because the original sentence is so awkward that we can't imagine ever saying it. If I had been the first to respond, I would have suggested "They're the ones who were doing it." You did ask "How would you say it?" and neither of your original sentences is something a native speaker would say.
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TicceThis was them (they) who were doing it.

These were they who were doing it.
This is a cleft sentence. Cleft sentences start with "It" -- not "This" or "These".

It was they who were doing it. (More formal than the following example.)
It was them who were doing it. (Also possible according to some authorities.)
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these were they who were doing it
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