I would have said I wonder whether it is you who is wrong. "I" am doing the
wondering; "it" is the subject of the next clause, "who" of the third
clause.
Scott
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There are 3 messages totalling 390 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. what is the subject here and what verb does it require? (3)
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Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:43:20 -0500
From: Martha Galphin <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: what is the subject here and what verb does it require?
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From the Chronicle Review=2C Feb. 13=2C 2012 Letters to the Editor=20
February 12=2C 2012
=09
Would one be incorrect in writing "you wonder if it is you who are wrong" i=
nstead of "you wonder if it's an error at all=2C or if=2C in fact=2C it is =
you who is wrong"?
Thanks=2C=20
Martha
=
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<div dir=3D"ltr">From the Chronicle Review=2C Feb. 13=2C 2012 Letters to th=
e Editor <br><p class=3D"dateline">February 12=2C 2012</p>
<br>Would one be incorrect in writing "you wonder if it is
you who are wr= ong" instead of "you wonder if it's an error at all=2C or
if=2C in fact=2C = it is <em>you</em> who is wrong"?<br><br>Thanks=2C
<br>Martha<br></div> </div> </div>
</div></body>
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Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:37:42 +0000
From: GERALD W WALTON <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: what is the subject here and what verb does it require?
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Who is the subject. Since it refers to you, the verb should be are. gww
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]
OHIO.EDU] On Behalf Of Martha Galphin
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 8:43 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: what is the subject here and what verb does it require?
From the Chronicle Review, Feb. 13, 2012 Letters to the Editor
February 12, 2012
Would one be incorrect in writing "you wonder if it is you who are wrong" i=
nstead of "you wonder if it's an error at all, or if, in fact, it is you wh=
o is wrong"?
Thanks,
Martha
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class=3D"WordSection1"> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><i><span
style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"=
;Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Who</span></i><span st=
yle=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif&qu=
ot;;color:#1F497D"> is the subject. Since it refers to <i>you</i>, the verb
should be <i>are</i>. gww<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span
style=3D"font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Ca=
libri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span><=
/p>
<div>
<div style=3D"border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in =
0in 0in"> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><b><span
style=3D"font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"=
;Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style=3D"font-s=
ize:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> Assembly=
for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Martha Galphin<br> <b>Sent:</b> Monday, February 13, 2012 8:43
AM<br> <b>To:</b> [log in to unmask]<br> <b>Subject:</b> what is the
subject here and what verb does it require?<o:p=
></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class=3D"MsoNormal">From the Chronicle Review, Feb. 13, 2012 Letters to =
the Editor <o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3D"dateline">February 12,
2012<o:p></o:p></p> <p class=3D"MsoNormal"><br> Would one be incorrect in
writing "you wonder if it is you who are wro= ng" instead of
"you wonder if it's an error at all, or if, in fac= t, it is
<em>you</em> who is wrong"?<br> <br> Thanks, <br> Martha<o:p></o:p></p>
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LISTSERV list, please visit th= e list's web interface at:
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ot; <o:p></o:p></p> <p>Visit ATEG's web site at <a
href=3D"http://ateg.org/">http://ateg.org/</=
a> <o:p>
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Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:18:12 -0500
From: Dick Veit <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: what is the subject here and what verb does it require?
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Martha,
I think you are asking whether it should be "It is you who is wrong" or "It
is you who are wrong." Let's assume that the stress is on "you" in this
sentence, as if it were answering the question, "Which one of us is wrong?"
If I were speaking it, the words that would come out of my mouth would
almost certainly be "It is you who is wrong." But this is one of those cases
where the more I think about it, the less certain I become.
In favor of "are" is the fact that the antecedent of "who" would seem to be
"you" and so its verb could be expected to agree with "you." But I don't
think that applies here or in similar sentences like "It's me who does the
dishes in our household" (not "do"). How to explain this?
My impressionistic analysis is that in "It is you who is wrong," "who is
wrong" is the old information in search of an answer. In that sense it
antedates the new information ("you") and is not altered by the fact that
the answer happens to be a pronoun that would otherwise not agree with "is."
Compare that with a quite different sentence like "I know that you, who are
my best friend, will never betray me." In this latter sentence, "you" is not
answering a question implicit in the relative clause. The relative clause
provides new, not old, information, and its verb should agree with the
antecedent.
Perhaps someone else has a less impressionistic and more lucidly reasoned
explanation.
Dick
On Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 9:43 AM, Martha Galphin
<[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> From the Chronicle Review, Feb. 13, 2012 Letters to the Editor
>
> February 12, 2012
>
> Would one be incorrect in writing "you wonder if it is you who are wrong"
> instead of "you wonder if it's an error at all, or if, in fact, it is
> *you
> * who is wrong"?
>
> Thanks,
> Martha
>
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Martha,<br><br>I think you are asking whether it should be "It is you =
who is wrong" or "It is you who are wrong." Let's assume=
that the stress is on "you" in this sentence, as if it were answ=
ering the question, "Which one of us is wrong?"<br> <br>If I were
speaking it, the words that would come out of my mouth would = almost
certainly be "It is you who is wrong." But this is one of = those
cases where the more I think about it, the less certain I become. =A0= <br>
<br>In favor of "are" is the fact that the antecedent of "wh=
o" would seem to be "you" and so its verb could be expected =
to agree with "you." But I don't think that applies here or i=
n similar sentences like "It's me who does the dishes in our house=
hold" (not "do"). How to explain this?<br> <br>My
impressionistic analysis is that in "It is you who is wrong,&qu= ot;
"who is wrong" is the old information in search of an answer.= In
that sense it antedates the new information ("you") and is no= t
altered by the fact that the answer happens to be a pronoun that would ot=
herwise not agree with "is." Compare that with a quite different =
sentence like "I know that you, who are my best friend, will never bet=
ray me." In this latter sentence, "you" is not answering a q=
uestion implicit in the relative clause. The relative clause provides new, =
not old, information, and its verb should agree with the antecedent.<br>
<br>Perhaps someone else has a less impressionistic and more lucidly reason=
ed explanation.<br><br>Dick<br><br><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mo=
n, Feb 13, 2012 at 9:43 AM, Martha Galphin <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D=
"mailto:[log in to unmask]" target=3D"_blank">[log in to unmask]
com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div><div dir=3D"ltr">
<div dir=3D"ltr">
<div dir=3D"ltr">
<div dir=3D"ltr">From the Chronicle Review, Feb. 13, 2012 Letters to the Ed=
itor <br><p>February 12, 2012</p>
<br>Would one be incorrect in writing "you wonder if it
is you who a= re wrong" instead of "you wonder if it's an
error at all, or = if, in fact, it is <i>you</i> who is
wrong"?<br><br>Thanks, <br>Martha= <br>
</div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div>
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