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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Verb agreement - "include" or "includes"

Which is formally correct?

"I want to thank you for your efforts to ensure that the article include properly cited quotations"

or

"I want to thank you for your efforts to ensure that the article includes properly cited quotations"

The latter sounds more correct, but something tells me the former is technically correct... help!

Thanks!
  

Top answer

Interesting. If you are thanking someone, then I assume they have already accomplished the task. That puts everything into the indicative mode, I'd say.

— CalifJim

  • Interesting.
  • If you are thanking someone, then I assume they have already accomplished the task.
  • That puts everything into the indicative mode, I'd say.
  • Thanks for your efforts to ensure that the article includes (as it now does, due to your efforts) properly cited quotations.
  • I suppose you could pull in the subjunctive if the task has not yet been accomplished: Thanks in advance for your efforts to ensure that the article include (as I direct you to do) properly cited quotations.
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3 Answers
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Interesting.

If you are thanking someone, then I assume they have already accomplished the task. That puts everything into the indicative mode, I'd say.

Thanks for your efforts to ensure that the article includes (as it now does, due to your efforts) properly cited quotations.

I suppose you could pull in the subjunctive if the task has not yet been accomplished:
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Hi. Can you tell me what triggers the subjunctive mood in your sentence in your mind?

Your sentence in the previous post:

Thanks in advance for your efforts to ensure that the article include (as I direct you to do) properly cited quotations.
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Anonymouswhat triggers the subjunctive mood
It's the fact that the inclusion of the quotations
1. hasn't happened yet (as indicated by thanking in advance)
and
2. is being commanded to happen, though in a veiled way (as indicated by thanking in advance together with the word ensure).

In short, the futurity and the slight imperati
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