One of Few Who Are

One of Few Who Are One of Few Who Are One of Few Who Are By Maeve Maddox Each of the following quotations contains a grammatical error: 1. This process is one of several that is required to maintain nuclear SREBP1-c at very low levels –Yeshiva University website 2. A study designed by Drs. Liu and Clarke is one of several that is slated to be included in the pilot run. –Georgetown University website 3. Steve Wozniak Is One Of The Few People Who Has Met The Kimye Baby –Business Insider 4. Henry [Kissinger] is one of the few who has the trust of the keepers of the secrets. –William Safire The error is using a singular verb with a relative pronoun whose antecedent is plural. Explanations 1. The antecedent of that is not one, but several. â€Å"This process† is only one of several processes required to maintain the protein described: â€Å"several that are required.† 2. The antecedent of that is not one, but several. The pilot run will include several studies: â€Å"several that are slated.† 3. The antecedent of who is not one, but few: â€Å"one the few people who have met.† 4. The antecedent of who is not one, but few. â€Å"one of the few who have the trust of the keepers of the secrets.† Agreement errors are often the result of â€Å"the law of attraction†: the tendency to make a verb agree with the nearest noun or pronoun that precedes it. Here is an error created by the law of attraction: Incorrect: She is the only one of the board members who are in favor of more money for the arts. Correct : She is the only one of the board members who is in favor of more money for the arts. She is the antecedent of who. â€Å"She† is the only one in the group who holds that opinion. More often than not, agreement errors with â€Å"one of x† go unnoticed in speech. A perusal of many reputable sites will show that they often go unnoticed in writing as well. Professor Paul Brians (Common Errors in English Usage) acknowledges that the following sentence is incorrect according to formal grammar: â€Å"Pistachio is one of the few flavors that appeals to me.† But he feels that the only context in which one needs to worry about getting it right is when â€Å"taking a test on English grammar.† Otherwise, â€Å"sophisticated speakers† may trust to their native inner ear for what â€Å"sounds right.† The Chicago Manual of Style is more decisive, declaring that â€Å"A relative pronoun takes its number from its antecedent.† Chicago offers these examples of correct usage: [It is] one of the few countries that cultivate farm-raised fish as a staple. She is one of those people who are famous just for being famous. [BUT] He is the one among them who is trustworthy. Careful writers will pay attention to the difference. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better WriterThe Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"

THREE FACES OF THE WRITER

THREE FACES OF THE WRITER I attended a conference recently where a short story instructor elaborated about the three sides of a writer. I like to call them faces. The concept he painted was not new to me, but I marveled at how it remained hidden in the back of my mind, an assumption, like it wasnt worth remembering. In reality, understanding our three faces is phenomenally important. Astounding, even. THE AUTHOR This personality is the source of all ideas. Here is where you contrive the plot and choose your characters. This side of you involves ingenuity. THE WRITER This face is the crafter. Here is the side of you that defines the words, matches nouns to verbs, carefully chooses adverbs (if any). This is the most easily taught of the three talents. You can be schooled on how to put words together correctly. THE STORYTELLER Here is the magic. This is what most people call voice. So many people can be authors and writers, but not everyone is a storyteller. This face isnt easily taught, since its almost an inherent trait. Its this side of you that can show and not tell, translating enthusiasm into words. Th storyteller isnt in all writers and authors. There may be words on paper, in order, written properly, with a beginning, middle and ending, but without the storytellers touch, the tale falls flat. How do you master all three? Read voraciously, watching for all three faces of the writer you read. Make yourself learn the writer side, grasping the word building until its second nature. Listen to storytellers. Close your eyes and hear audiobooks, movies, and plays. Absorb the wordplay, recognizing how the writer avoids telling. Then try to be uninhibited in your writing. Dont worry about what your mother will think about the sex in Chapter 14. Forget about how your cousins may misinterpret the twist in Chapter 23. Sling all the crap on the page and dare to be alive. Story creation is a careful balance of knowing the rules, thinking creativity, and then daring to explode onto the page without concern for the ramifications.