Verb Agreement with Some

When it comes to verb agreement, the use of „some“ can often create confusion. Should the verb be singular or plural? The answer depends on the context and the intended meaning of the sentence.

Let`s start with some basic rules:

– When „some“ is used as an indefinite pronoun to refer to an unspecified quantity or number, the verb should be plural. For example: „Some students are absent from class today.“

– When „some“ is used as a determiner to refer to a specific group or subset of things or people, the verb should agree with the noun that follows. For example: „Some of the students is absent from class today.“

– When „some“ is used as an adverb, the verb agreement is not affected. For example: „He ate some of the cake.“

However, there are some cases where it can be tricky to determine the correct verb agreement with „some.“ Let`s take a look at a few examples:

1. „Some of the data is/are incorrect.“

In this case, the verb should be plural because we are referring to a specific subset of data. So, the correct sentence is: „Some of the data are incorrect.“

2. „Some of the pie was/were eaten.“

In this case, the verb agreement depends on the context. If we are referring to a single pie that was partially eaten, the verb should be singular: „Some of the pie was eaten.“ However, if we are referring to multiple pies and only a portion of each was eaten, the verb should be plural: „Some of the pies were eaten.“

3. „Some of the employees is/are unhappy.“

In this case, the verb agreement should be based on the number of employees being referred to. If we are referring to a specific group of employees, the verb should agree with the noun that follows: „Some of the employees are unhappy.“ However, if we are referring to an unspecified number of employees, the verb should be plural: „Some employees are unhappy.“

In conclusion, verb agreement with „some“ can be tricky, but following the basic rules and considering the context can help ensure correct usage. As a professional, it is crucial to pay attention to these details to improve the clarity and accuracy of the content.