Where he wants him
"Erdogan has the Saudis – in particular, the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (AKA MbS) – right where he wants him."
(The Guardian.)
Is "the Saudis" a plural noun?
Is the pronoun "him" rightly used as an object of the verb "wants" in the cited sentence? (Shouldn't it be "them", instead, to agree with "the Saudis" if the latter is plural?)
Am I right saying that the main clause in that sentence should be: Erdogan has the Saudis right where he wants them?
Top answer
tkacka15 Is "the Saudis" a plural noun? Yes. ) I think it is "him" because the pronoun refers to the crown prince
- tkacka15 Is "the Saudis" a plural noun?
- Yes.
- ) I think it is "him" because the pronoun refers to the crown prince
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
tkacka15Is "the Saudis" a plural noun?
Yes.
tkacka15Shouldn't it be "them", instead, to agree with "the Saudis" if the latter is plural?)
I think it is "him" because the pronoun refers to the crown prince
0Yes, the pronoun is object of "wants". I tend to agree with you that the pronoun refers to the plural NP “the Saudis” and hence should be the plural “them”.
The writer, however, seems to have decided that it refers to the singular NP “the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman”, an interpolation, or supplement, which is not part of the NP functioning as object of "has"
Supplements are n
0
Related Questions