Good question. You'll get several opinions on this:View attachment 3810
It is taken from a native grammar book, why did not he say names and addresses?
Can we use must here?
Always state the title and author of any book you quote from, please.View attachment 3810
It is taken from a native grammar book ...
So we put name and address because of everyone.Good question. You'll get several opinions on this:
- Some people treat everyone as a plural noun, even though it's a compound word made of every and one. (That seems to be your opinion.)
I think it is singular because it ends with one.
- Some say that everyone is singular, so it should say his or her, not their. (That's how I usually treat it.)
I agree. I prefer using his and her instead of their.
- Others say that their can sometimes be be singular or plural. (I occasionally agree. It's a conversational shortcut.)
I think their should be followed by plural nouns in such a context.
- Still others say that their can always be singular or plural. (I disagree.)
But I think we'll all agree that when you say everyone, most people have one name and one primary address, so name and address should be singular.
Right.
And yes, you can say "Everyone must . . . ."
Right. It's singular.So we use/say name and address because of everyone.
So we put name and address because of everyone.
View attachment 3810
[STRIKE]It[/STRIKE] The screenshot above is taken from a [STRIKE]native[/STRIKE] grammar book written by a native speaker. Why did [STRIKE]not[/STRIKE] he not say names and addresses?
If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know: