DAILY GRAMMAR (DG) 15-03-2018
1. Our Association appeals to her members to support the new project. (No)
Our Association appeals to its members to support the new project. (Yes)
(The pronoun, “her”, is used to indicate a female referent. It may be used to represent a permanent and beloved institution like one’s country. However, government, like association, is not considered feminine.)
2. The criminal, along with his accomplices, have been arrested. (No)
The criminal, along with his accomplices, has been arrested. (Yes)
(Expressions that add more information to what is earlier said are not considered in the choice of the verbs that follow. These expressions may be parenthetic statements, appositive phrases or accompaniments. Expressions like “with”, ” along with”, “in conjunction with”, “as well as”, “including”, “in collaboration with”, “in addition to”, “like”, “no less than”, “alongside”, “as much as”, and so on belong to this category. For example, “Tunde, with his wife, is here”; “The principal as well as the teachers is hardworking”; “TK Films in conjunction with New Age Productions presents ‘The Game’ “; etc.)
3. The baby’s names are Fatimah Adeola Ajayi. (No)
The baby’s name is Fatimah Adeola Ajayi. (Yes)
(A person’s name consists of a first name, a middle name (or more) and a surname, which is usually, though not necessarily always, a last name. A name attracts a singular verb.)
Did You Know?
Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ears by 700 times.