There's the problem...
Here are a couple of sentences I saw in my newspaper this week. Can you see what's wrong with them?
Full marks if you noticed that in both these sentences, 'there' is followed by a singular verb rather than the correct plural. Correct versions would be:
It's a mistake I've seen and heard a lot recently (it's a regular on TV news bulletins as well) and it sets my teeth on edge. I think it stems from a mistaken belief among otherwise educated people that in these sentences, the word 'there' is the singular subject, so it must always take a singular verb.
In fact, that's not the case. In this type of construction, 'there' is usually classified as a pronoun. According to the standard rule, when the pronoun 'there' precedes a verb such as be, seem, or appear, the verb agrees in number with the following grammatical subject: There is an Indian restaurant across the street. There are leaves on the driveway. There seems to be a fault in this radio. There appear to be several people who still haven't cast their vote.
In speech, people often disregard this rule and use a singular verb with a plural subject, especially when using the contraction there’s. But it IS still ungrammatical, and should be avoided in serious writing. It's easy enough to get right - just find the true subject of the sentence and ensure that the verb matches with it.
And if you're a national newspaper journalist or a BBC news reporter, I do hope you'll take note of this, to prevent me grinding my teeth down any further!
There's two big glass towers, but they were built in the 1960s.
Her concerns (and there's not many) are for younger nurses.
Full marks if you noticed that in both these sentences, 'there' is followed by a singular verb rather than the correct plural. Correct versions would be:
There are two big glass towers, but they were built in the 1960s.
Her concerns (and there aren't many) are for younger nurses.
It's a mistake I've seen and heard a lot recently (it's a regular on TV news bulletins as well) and it sets my teeth on edge. I think it stems from a mistaken belief among otherwise educated people that in these sentences, the word 'there' is the singular subject, so it must always take a singular verb.
In fact, that's not the case. In this type of construction, 'there' is usually classified as a pronoun. According to the standard rule, when the pronoun 'there' precedes a verb such as be, seem, or appear, the verb agrees in number with the following grammatical subject: There is an Indian restaurant across the street. There are leaves on the driveway. There seems to be a fault in this radio. There appear to be several people who still haven't cast their vote.
In speech, people often disregard this rule and use a singular verb with a plural subject, especially when using the contraction there’s. But it IS still ungrammatical, and should be avoided in serious writing. It's easy enough to get right - just find the true subject of the sentence and ensure that the verb matches with it.
And if you're a national newspaper journalist or a BBC news reporter, I do hope you'll take note of this, to prevent me grinding my teeth down any further!
Nick at 3:58 AM 
3 Comments:
Taht gets on my nerves too!
Ronda
************************
Self Help Starts in the Bathroom: The Stress Whisperer's Guide to Breathing, Brain TV, and Fowl Language
www.lulu.com/relaxwithronda
This is the only life-altering, attitude-transforming book to keep in the bathroom! Find out why on page 14. Print or PDF
The word (from) is missing between the words (me) and (grinding).
To prevent me from grinding my teeth down any further.
Even the best of us make errors, this is why networking is important. I still don't have the confidence or the skills required to write and edit my own book.
I am anxiously waiting for your course to see what are the (secrets).
Actually, the use of 'from' after 'prevent' is optional. See, for example, the website below:
http://website.lineone.net/~eshp/grammar.htm
All orders are dispatched within 24 hours. Depending on where you are in the world, however, it can take up to 28 days for the course CD to arrive. This is down to international postal services and outside my publisher's control. If you have not received your CD within 28 days, please get in touch with my publishers at www.myhelphub.com and they will send you a replacement CD at their expense.
Happy writing!
Nick
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