Both of our attention is /are

[curiouscat]

Hi Joe,

   I encountered this sentence structure yesterday and I keep coming back to it.

   "Both of our attention is on our child".

    The word "both" is plural in construction.
    Attention on the other hand is singular and using "attentions" which would mean something entirely different anyway, sounds very awkward.
    What is your ruling on "Both of our attention"? Is it singular or plural?

Thanks!
Curious Cat

[Joe Carillo]

I think the sentence “Both of our attention is on our child” is neither singular nor plural but bad English. It misuses the pronoun “both” by forcing it to wrongly modify the noun “our attention,” when it should be modifying “us” instead.

The correct way to construct that sentence is this: “The attention of both of us is on our child.” Or this: “The attention of us both is on our child.” Another correct way: “Both of us are giving attention to our child.” Still another correct way: “We are both giving attention to our child.”