VERSION ONE:
The weakest and most vulnerable of the three branches is the judicial branch, whose abilities to decide cases HAVE been thwarted by the current administration.
VERSION TWO:
The weakest and most vulnerable of the three branches is the judicial branch, whose abilities to decide cases HAS been thwarted by the current administration.
Judicial branch is singular, but abilities is plural.
ps. i wrote the first one, and my parents corrected it to the second version.
2007-08-29 10:05:22 · 8 answers · asked by razi 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
I believe your version (1) to be correct. Just look at it this way:
Abilities HAVE
Abilities HAS
Even if you reworded the sentence to this, your version is still correct:
"The abilities of the judicial branch to decide cases HAVE been thwarted by the current administration."
2007-08-29 10:20:06 · answer #1 · answered by Kat 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have to determine what has been thwarted. If it is ABILITIES, then HAVE is correct, as in version one. If it is the BRANCH, then HAS is correct, as in version two.
The way the passage reads, version one is correct. It seems that you mean to say the current administration has thwarted their abilities.
2007-08-29 17:14:56 · answer #2 · answered by lduncan00 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It would be more appropriate to say their "ability to decide cases has been thwarted". But if you go with what you have written, #1 would be correct.
2007-08-29 22:43:40 · answer #3 · answered by Maebnus 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why abilities? If you change to the singular, ability, I think you can accept version two. Surely 'ability to decide' is better than 'abilities to decide'.
2007-08-29 17:27:16 · answer #4 · answered by d00ney 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, I'd go with "whose ability has" but you're right that the subject is "abilities" so that would go with "have".
2007-08-29 17:14:33 · answer #5 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The verb must agree with 'abilities' which is plural.
So the correct word is 'HAVE'.
.
2007-08-29 18:23:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You may want to consider spelling "grammar" correctly.
2007-08-29 17:17:54 · answer #7 · answered by bslice101 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's Has been. The plural in abilities makes it so.
2007-08-29 17:15:10 · answer #8 · answered by frank d 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋