Don't get confused by the word "one" popping up in there. In the first case, ‘money’ is an uncountable noun, and thus is singular in nature. Grammar: Concept & Rules. Is "Media" Singular or Plural? The word ‘all’ is used both as singular and plural. He interviews several candidates every day and the majority are women. always superior to all but one swan are/is white, and so I would probably never write the latter either way. Not really, Ismael. Use the phrase his or her. √. Selling real-estate in space. He interviews several candidates every day and the majority are women. ‘Majority’ should be used with countable nouns and not with uncountable nouns: The majority are upset about the government’s new economic policies. In standard written English the possessive pronoun his is used to refer to a singular indefinite pronoun unless the group referred to is known to be all female. So are pronouns like each and every. The only "rule," so to speak, is that we normally use any in this type of yes/no question, and the direct object determines whether a singular or plural form is appropriate. √ (Here, lessons are countable) Singular or Plural: all, any, more, most, none, some Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs or singular personal pronouns. What's the difference? How can I avoid my-guy-syndrome after devastating battle. @EdwinAshworth Thanks; you're quite right that "all but one" is not a mass noun. linguistics: Linguistics is the study of language. billiards: Billiards is played all over the world. "). Read the following sentences and identify the correct word from the two options provided: An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that refers to non-specific beings, objects, or places. Should I replace the tyre or can I keep going? In case we are uncertain whether it is a collection of individuals or a collective group, we use whatever form sounds best to us. Solving a rotating combination lock puzzle. Source: Garner's Modern English Usage, 4th Ed., page 36. We need to use ‘is’ in this sentence. (But I would use all but one swan when it is not followed by a finite verb. However, its derivation is only part of the reason why "media" is usually treated as plural. If we use the word ‘majority’ to describe a collection of individuals, we treat it as plural: (The subject, each, is singular. Is there a way to flip a component while preserving wire locations (in Altium)? Before we actually delve into indefinite pronouns, let us solve a mini-exercise. Keep these simple rules in mind, next time you see an 'indefinite pronoun'. (The subject, each, is singular. darts: Darts is a popular game in England. Grammar: Practice Exercises; Advanced Grammar (Subject-Object, Participles, etc.) Incorrect: One of the girls gave up their seat. Indefinite pronouns are words which replace nouns without specifying which noun they replace. I admit to being sloppy with the precise linguistic identification of it, since if used alone it functions as a pronoun, and if given the noun to which it refers, in this case "person(s)", it would be part of a noun phrase. When all denotes a collective abstraction (as a mass noun), it should take a singular verb (e.g., "All she wants is people to like her."). 1. Incorrect: One of the girls gave up their seat. What is an "evidence based" teaching statement? Why is social engineering often excluded from bug bounties? Grammatically they are singular, but as they describe more than one individual, they may also take the plural form of a verb or use a plural pronoun. Plural: both, few, many, others, several Singular or Plural: all, any, more, most, none, some Singular indefinite pronouns take singular verbs or singular personal pronouns. Adverbs, Types of Adverbs, Rules of Adverbs, Adjective or Adverb? President’s majority has grown by 20 percent over the past five years. Do you say “All but one person forgets something” or “All but one person forget something”? In the case of a singular subject, use singular verb else use a plural verb. For indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural, it depends on what the indefinite pronoun refers to. I thought that 'all' would be what makes the difference between the two. Grammatically they are singular, but as they describe more than one individual, they may also take the plural form of a verb or use a plural pronoun. The majority of voters in this constituency are women. “family” or “team”. Singular and plural both (depending upon usage): all, any, more, most and some. (Her refers to one, which is singular.) When ‘majority’ specifies a group of persons or things that are in the majority, we can use either a singular or plural verb; however, it depends on whether the group is taken as a whole or as a set of people considered individually: Which is correct: “one or more is” or “one or more are”? Most languages, including English, observe the standard of using the masculine pronoun in situations like this. The pronouns ending with -body or -one such as anybody, somebody, no one, or anyone are singular. BLUF asking about the two options. Was Bill Gates' mugshot photo used in 2010 as a template for Outlook contacts? (Here all refers to newspaper, which is singular.). (In British English, we usually use a plural verb in this meaning). Press J to jump to the feed. Hello highlight.js! Would it be possible to mount a working minigun onto the saddle of a tyrannosaurid dinosaur? Team members are afraid to engage in standup or discuss blocking issues affecting their work.