Spot the error in the following sentence; if there is no error, mark (d). Every one (a) of the boys (b) love to ride (c). No error (d)
- (a)Every one
- (b)of the boys
- (c)love to ride
- (d)No error
Answer
C
Why
Correct — C, 'love to ride'. The subject is 'Every one', which is singular, so it needs the singular verb 'loves' — 'Every one of the boys loves to ride'. The plural noun 'boys' inside the 'of'-phrase does not change the number of the real subject 'every one'.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)Every one — Correct — 'Every one' is the singular subject; the fault is the verb that follows, not this phrase.
- (b)of the boys — Correct — the prepositional phrase 'of the boys' is well formed, and the plural 'boys' does not govern the verb.
- (d)No error — There is a subject-verb agreement error ('love' should be 'loves'), so 'No error' does not apply.
Concept
With 'each', 'every one' or 'one of ...', the verb agrees with the singular headword, not with the plural noun in the intervening 'of'-phrase.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Choose the correct sentence.
- (a)Each of the students have a book.
- (b)Each of the students has a book.
- (c)Each of the students are having a book.
- (d)Each of the student have books.
Answer(b) — 'Each' is singular and takes 'has'.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Fill in the blank: 'Every one of the players ______ ready.'
- (a)are
- (b)were
- (c)is
- (d)have been
Answer(c) is — 'Every one' is singular.