whoever come/comes here is/are my friend.
Do we have to use plural verb and singular verb? why.
thanks alot
2007-05-07 03:53:19 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
English in the UK and the US can differ on this one.
"Whoever comes here is my friend." is the standard US way of saying it.
However, I have noticed that some UK verbs differ. For example, in the US one would say, "The cricket team is traveling to Perth tonight," whereas I understand those in the UK would say, "The cricket team are traveling to Perth."
2007-05-07 03:58:13 · answer #1 · answered by Peter D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Whoever" is singular and in modern English takes an indicative verb. In older English, it was sometimes spelt whosoever and in some circumstances it was followed by a subjunctive verb, which sometimes looks like a plural verb: for example: "who[so]ever enter here, let him despair". In modern English, however, this would sound very peculiar.
2007-05-07 11:08:09 · answer #2 · answered by GrahamH 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whoever is a singular pronoun, therefore the correct version is: "Whoever comes here is my friend", using the singular verb.
2007-05-07 10:57:37 · answer #3 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
'Whoever' is a singular pronoun, so use the singular version of the verb:
"Whoever comes here is my friend."
2007-05-07 10:58:36 · answer #4 · answered by king kami 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You use a singular verb because whoever is singular.
2007-05-07 10:57:17 · answer #5 · answered by JJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whoever does come here will be my friends to make it plural meaning of many.
2007-05-07 11:01:53 · answer #6 · answered by Drop short and duck 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whoever is singular
Whoever comes here is my friend.
2007-05-07 10:56:01 · answer #7 · answered by Xiomy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋