English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
CONCORD: PRONOUN-VERB CONSTRUCTIONS
~Everybody love~ to come here (nonstandard).
*Everybody loves* to come here (standard).
Indefinite pronouns such as “everybody”, everyone”, “someone” etc attract singular verbs.
~Each of the participants are~ travelling tomorrow (nonstandard).
*Each of the participants is* travelling tomorrow (standard). Structures that contain “each of”, “one of”, “none of” etc take a singular verb because emphasis is on the first item: each, one, none.
~All are~ well with me (nonstandard).
*All is* well with me (standard).
“All” attracts a singular verb when it means “everything”, but it takes the plural verb when it refers to people:
How’re the children?
~All is~ fine (nonstandard).
*All are* fine (standard).
GAB
No comment