I would like to share with members of the Forum the recent exchange of e-mail below between me and a well-respected English professor and writer in the Philippines regarding the following sentence construction:
“Many people discover to their dismay that their many years of formal study of English
has not given them the proficiency level demanded by the job market, by the various professions, or by higher academic studies.”
It is the first sentence of an online ad for my third English-usage book,
Give Your English the Winning Edge.
The English professor, whose identity I will keep in strict confidence here, e-mailed the following response to the circulation department of
The Manila Times:
“Oops! Please correct the verb in the first sentence of the first paragraph of the ad!”
The e-mail was forwarded to me and I e-mailed this response to the English professor:
“The marketing group of T
he Manila Times has alerted me about your feedback to the first sentence of the online ad for my book
Give Your English the Winning Edge.
“No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my use of the singular verb form ‘has’ in the following sentence:
“‘Many people discover to their dismay that their many years of formal study of English
has not given them the proficiency level demanded by the job market, by the various professions, or by higher academic studies.”
“Since English-language experts like you and [name withheld] think otherwise and have called my attention to the seemingly wrong verb usage, I have made a full-length explanation
on this page at Jose Carillo’s English Forum. Please click the link to read it and do let me know what you think. I’m willing to be overruled—and will rewrite the sentence in question if need be—if you and an overwhelming majority aren’t convinced by my explanation.
“Thanks and have a nice day!”
The English professor then e-mailed me this response:
“Sorry, but you’re not right. The word
that can be removed in sentences of this sort. (I know you’re right = I know
that you’re right.) If you remove
that, you will see that your argument falls apart. The real direct object of discover is the entire clause ‘their many years of formal study of English have not given them etc.’
Years is the subject of the verb have in the clause.”
I responded by e-mail as follows:
“You seem to have a point when you convert my sentence into its ‘that’-less form, but look at this other sentence whose construction is every bit similar:
“‘She is convinced that her 20 years of teaching experience
[is, are] a big plus to her credentials.’
“And see what happens when you convert that sentence into its ‘that’-less form:
“‘She is convinced her 20 years of teaching experience
[is, are] a big plus to her credentials.’
“I wonder if you’d still insist on the plural ‘are’ for both constructions. I think it’s clearer here that the relative noun phrase ‘that her 20 years of teaching experience’ is, in fact, both grammatically and notionally singular, don’t you agree?”
His response:
“Not really. The linking verb has to agree with either or both subject and/or predicate. Example: Many years
is one thing, but
all your years is another. You used
to have, which has to agree only with the subject.”
I have not yet answered this last e-mail by the English professor. Since the matter has remained contentious and has not had a satisfactory closure, I have decided to make this grammar poll among members of the Forum.
Please let me know whether you are in favor of the English professor’s contention or of mine, and provide a justification for your choice. To ensure confidentiality, please don’t post your response directly on the Forum; send it to me by private e-mail at j8carillo@yahoo.com. I can then publish your response in the Forum without identifying you as its source and without embarrassing anybody in this academic exercise about English usage.
As I promised in my initial response to the English professor, I’m willing to be overruled—and will rewrite the sentence in question if need be—if you and an overwhelming majority disagree with my choice of verb form in that sentence in question.
Thank you and have a nice day!
Joe Carillo
