Verb agreement with "what"

Question

This came up when reviewing a written English exercise, and I realized that I don't entirely trust my intuition on the answer.

Which of the following is correct? Or are both valid? (Or is it strongly advisable to rewrite the sentence in some other way?)

I think you're asking about the verb agreement with "aman and his son" not "what". — Lisa, Sep 28, 2011 at 1:02

rjmoggach · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-28 01:48:53Z

7

Both are correct but infer different meanings. Context is important here.

The first describes a "man and his son" as a logical unit. Given the nature of the relationship it's not incorrect.

The second describes "a man" and "his son" in a literal, observational sense, as two distinct individuals.

answered Sep 28, 2011 at 1:48

rjmoggach

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apaderno · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-28 08:26:37Z

3

The former. You are describing a single sight, so the singular form is used. Correct forms are:

apaderno

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answered Sep 28, 2011 at 1:02

David Schwartz

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People say and write what appear to be two often. It doesn't matter if the items are a single sight. "What appear to be a few tail vertebrae and fragments of a spike" is a common pattern; "what appears to be white cotton fiber paper and various inks" occurs, but usually "appears" is followed by one thing, like "appears to be a..."
– aedia λ
Sep 28, 2011 at 15:14
In almost all of those cases, I think "what appears to be two" is better. But I certainly wouldn't call those uses incorrect.
– David Schwartz
Sep 28, 2011 at 15:31

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2 Answers 2