Some grammar questions

rofa

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 10:01 am

Laiya wrote:

I don't think this is correct. The pronoun "every" takes a singular verb, regardless of the existence of another subject before it.

Every isn't a pronoun in this case- it's a determiner/adj.. I think every can be a pronoun, unlike everybody or everyone. But does have the ability to change the verb to singular form.

http://www.chompchomp.com/rule.....s.htm

rofa

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 10:22 am

Laiya wrote:

So the question really is, is "a boy and a girl" a collective idea?

Since we are stating that they make a couple (singular collective noun) I would say that boy and girl in this case are considered a collective idea.

Laiya

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 10:44 am

rofa wrote:

Since we are stating that they make a couple (singular collective noun) I would say that boy and girl in this case are considered a collective idea.

Notice you just wrote, "they make a couple" Wink

amother

Mustard

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 11:02 am

pickle321 wrote:

Wrong about the chicken and string beans, it is because meal makes it singular. If you were talk about favorite food it would be string beans and chicken are my dads favorite foods.

Wrong. Subject-verb agreement does not get affected by the predicate nominative.

amother

Mustard

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 11:03 am

5*Mom wrote:

Good explanation, however the first sentence says, "A boy and girl" not "A boy and a girl" which may make it a collective idea like this: "A boy-and-girl." Hmm.

Nu? Conclusion?

amother

Mustard

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 11:04 am

rofa wrote:

Every cannot be a pronoun. It is an adjective. Everyone and everybody are pronouns which are always singular, and they cannot be adjectives.

rofa

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 11:08 am

amother wrote:

Every cannot be a pronoun. It is an adjective. Everyone and everybody are pronouns which are always singular, and they cannot be adjectives.

That's what I meant. Forgot the crucial word "don't".

rofa

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 11:09 am

Laiya wrote:

Notice you just wrote, "they make a couple" Wink

I noticed.

It's because in this case I'm referring to "a boy and a girl" in general, not as a collective unit.

Laiya

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 11:31 am

amother wrote:

Every cannot be a pronoun. It is an adjective. Everyone and everybody are pronouns which are always singular, and they cannot be adjectives.

You're right, it's not a pronoun. If it were, "Every student and teacher...", "every" would be the subject, and that's singular.

rofa

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 11:36 am

Laiya wrote:

You're right, it's not a pronoun. If it were, "Every student and teacher...", "every" would be the subject, and that's singular.

I still don't think "every" would be the subject. It's still a determiner modifying student and teacher.

ETA: Holt handbook does not list "every" as a pronoun.

amother

Mustard

Thu, Feb 18 2016, 4:54 pm

rofa wrote:

I still don't think "every" would be the subject. It's still a determiner modifying student and teacher.

ETA: Holt handbook does not list "every" as a pronoun.

That's what I said. Every cannot be used as a pronoun whereas each can be used either as an adjective or as a pronoun.
For example: Each person received a cookie.
Each of the cookies was decorated with chocolate.

In the first sentence the subject is person and each is an adjective. In the second, each is the subject and a pronoun.