I've been told by an English teacher that it's allowed, but earlier today, I posted a question about something else and was told that switching from singular to plural wasn't correct. I really wanted to get it looked at specifically, so here goes;
E.g.
Are these correct?
a). "The doctor told the patient they were unable to operate"
b). "One should should think before they speak"
2007-08-03 23:44:00 · 7 answers · asked by Jon 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
*rephrase*
a). "The doctor told the patient that they were unable to operate"
2007-08-03 23:45:24 · update #1
the DOCTOR told the patient that HE WAS UNABLE to operate.
ONE should think before HE SPEAKS.
you can't just switch from singular to plural. what are subject-verb agreements for?
your pronoun must also agree with your subject.
the DOCTORS told the patient that THEY WERE UNABLE to operate.
WE should THINK before WE SPEAK.
2007-08-03 23:47:35 · answer #1 · answered by kahlan nynaeve® 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The doctor is singular... as shown not correct. The doctor was unable to operate if you wish to keep the sentence gender neutral.
One should think before one speaks, is correct. Or you could say Persons or people should think before they speak.
It is always better to maintain proper number symmetry.
Of course, in the first example the doctor could have been speaking about his entire surgical team. In that case, you would need to make it a quote: The doctor told the patient: "They are unable to operate".
2007-08-04 08:38:51 · answer #2 · answered by Princess Picalilly 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is most definitely NOT correct to switch between singular and plural within a single sentence.
For example, THE DOCTOR can not become THEY halfway through a sentence!
You could rewrite the above sentences as follows:
The doctor told the patient that HE (or SHE) was unable to operate.
One should think before HE (or SHE) speaks.
PEOPLE should think before they speak.
WE should think before WE speak.
Do not believe everything your English teacher tells you. Today's English teachers tend to be familiar with literature and other types of text, but are not necessarily experts in English grammar.
2007-08-04 07:01:43 · answer #3 · answered by grammarhammer 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
B is incorrect. But I think an exception can be made for A, because while it is only one doctor talking to the patient, he is speaking about the nurses, and the hostpital staff in general, who are unable to operate. The doctor proably would have said "we are unable to operate", the "we" being plural. Changing "doctor" to doctors" doesn't really make sense if it is only one doctor.
2007-08-04 08:41:16 · answer #4 · answered by MetalMaster4x4 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would argue that B is potentially correct inasmuch as the word 'they' is used in British English to donate an unknown or unspecified individual (ie 'Someone can pick that up if they want to')
Maybe it's just a colloquialism I have grown up with. It's certainly a term of speech I wouldn't question.
2007-08-04 17:13:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
switching from singular to plural is permissible sometimes but not always
2007-08-04 08:08:40 · answer #6 · answered by Kashish 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
not permitted
2007-08-04 07:54:03 · answer #7 · answered by Manz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋