Q&A - PSLE English

[lifeisabeach]

Does your child’s teacher return the compositions done during exams?

I m doing a small survey here.
If they don’t return it, then how will the child know where they are wrong?

[Joy of Learning 111]

lifeisabeach:

Does your child's teacher return the compositions done during exams?

I have privately tutored many children over many years. To a tee, the children’s teachers do not return the compositions done during the exams.

lifeisabeach:

If they don't return it, then how will the child know where they are wrong?

Hopefully, the teachers will go through individually with the children in class. More generally, the teachers will provide individualised feedback on compositions done outside of exams. Parents can also request advice during PTMs.

[Kiatkhim]

Can someone advise?


Raju was one of the men who (was) or (were) commended by the police for helping the accident victim.

Thank you.

[nicnac]

Kiatkhim:

Can someone advise?


Raju was one of the men who (was) or (were) commended by the police for helping the accident victim.

Thank you.

Were.
Was- agrees with Raju
Were - agrees with men

[Kiatkhim]

nicnac:

Kiatkhim:

Can someone advise?


Raju was one of the men who (was) or (were) commended by the police for helping the accident victim.

Thank you.

Were.
Was- agrees with Raju
Were - agrees with men

Thank you.

[D3-n]

I have a different reading though.

I would choose "was" to agree with "one" and not "men".
Raju was (the) one who was…
Raju was "one" of the men, and he is the focus of the sentence, so I feel "was" should be conjugated to agree with "one".

I’m aware though that there are some grammar books that support the first.
Perhaps others can weigh in their thoughts on this?

[Joy of Learning 111]

Nicnac’s answer is correct. The plural verb ‘were’ is used to agree with men.


‘Who’ refers to the noun ‘men’, not the noun ‘Raju’, although Raju, of course, is subsumed under ‘men’.

The sentence can be re-expressed as a compound:

The men were commended by the police for helping the accident victim and Raju was one of them.

[D3-n]

So it should be

Raju was [one of ({the men} who were)] commended…

as opposed to
Raju was [(one of the men) who was] commended…
?



Syntactically both structure are sound.

[janet88]

D3@n:

So it should be

Raju was [one of ({the men} who were)] commended...

as opposed to
Raju was [(one of the men) who was] commended...
?
Syntactically both structure are sound.

Read both and find myself more comfortable with option 2...Raju was one of the men who was commended...it reminds of subject-verb agreement.

[Kangkangteo]

janet88:

D3@n:

So it should be

Raju was [one of ({the men} who were)] commended...

as opposed to
Raju was [(one of the men) who was] commended...
?
Syntactically both structure are sound.

Read both and find myself more comfortable with option 2...Raju was one of the men who was commended...it reminds of subject-verb agreement.

The correct answer is (1).