0

A person who has perfectly good relations with their father, who loves their father, and has a great respect for them, can never shout at him like that.

A person who have perfectly good relations with their father, who love their father, and have a great respect for them, can never shout at him like that.

Which one's correct?

1 Answer 1

0

The singular verb has should definitely be used in the sentence as you have written it. I would not however use 'them' to refer to the father too, since you know that the father is a 'him'. There are, though, things that are slightly incorrect in the sentence. Personally I would say:

A person who has perfectly good relations with their father, who loves their father, and has a great respect for him, could never shout at him like that.

But please note that, in your sentence, the verb 'has' is not actually being used with the pronoun 'they'as the subject. In the first instance your subject is a person who which clearly takes has as its verb. If however you were to use they as a singular subject, meaning 'he' or 'she', then you would use the plural verb, such as in:

As regards the person I have just mentioned, and as I understand it, they are going to be charged with obstructing the course of justice.

You would never correctly say they is going to be charged.

4
  • @ws2thank you, could you also please answer my other question?
    – user72745
    Commented Apr 22, 2014 at 6:17
  • @user72745 I'm not sure I follow you. What was your 'other' question?
    – WS2
    Commented Apr 22, 2014 at 6:33
  • "the father is a 'him'" - what if the father has an alternative gender identity? Won't it offend them?
    – olegst
    Commented Dec 9, 2015 at 15:39
  • @olegst I am not sufficiently liberated as to regard a father as anything but a him. And I believe I carry at least 99% of people with me at the moment - but I realise it could change.
    – WS2
    Commented Dec 9, 2015 at 16:16

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .