Hi, Alexander! Recently you wrote in a message to All:
AK> -----Beginning of the citation-----
AK> "Why would a king be talking with a shepherd?" the
AK> boy asked, awed and embarrassed.
AK> "For several reasons. But let's say that the most
AK> important is that you have succeeded in discovering
AK> your Personal Legend."
AK> The boy didn't know what a person's "Personal Legend"
AK> was. "It's what you have always wanted to accomplish.
AK> Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal
AK> Legend is.
AK> ----- The end of the citation -----
AK> What about the last sentence?
AK> Should it be "Everyone, when he is young, knows"
In formal English, yes.
AK> or "All people, when they are young know..."
With the addition of a comma after "young", this would be correct. It
doesn't have quite the same impact from a stylistic POV, however.... :-)
AK> If we use "they", we imply many people? IMHO, it is
AK> incompatible "are" and "knows".
Native speakers often find the grammar confusing because "every" seems
to imply "many"... but what matters is that "one" (or whatever else comes
right after "every" is singular. The CBC lightens up its ads for a new series
named CORONER by saying "Every body has a story". In the 20th century we had
various songs with lines such as
Everybody loves a baby
Everything is beautiful, in its own way
... and I've just discovered umpteen variations on
Every good man needs a good woman.
Everyone knows (!) what to do re subject/verb agreement here. As soon
as personal pronouns are introduced, however, the situation is more complex.
I think what you're seeing is that novels written during the last 50 years may
be aimed at a different audience than older works. Using "they" to refer to
males & females alike... regardless of number... is the popular choice
nowadays. :-Q
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)
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