The following is from a thread on NCTE-Talk. I have replaced the names because they are irrelevant. The exchange, however, reinforces my point that most teachers are very poorly prepared to teach grammar. It also reinforces my argument that instead of teaching future teachers whole bunches of terminology we need to help them learn to recognize basic structures such as subject/verb patterns. Ed V. ----- On 29 Jan 1998, Xxxxxx wrote: I need the rule and an explanation for the following structure: It was one of those jobs that (takes, take) much more time than you expect. I thought the verb should be singular because it should agree with "one" but one of my students brought me an independent study workbook which indicates the verb should be plural (agreeing with "jobs," I assume) The only thing I can find that would suggest the plural verb is Strunk&White where he says, "A common blunder is the use of a singular verb form in a relative clause following "one of . . . " or a similar expression when the relative is the subject" (p 9). Can anyone tell me which is correct, and, if I am not, explain the rule to me? Thanks. Xxxxxxxxx And someone replied: Isn't the subject of this particular sentence "it"? Xxxxxxx