Recently I encounter a grammar problem about "that each has/have (or any other verb)".
Original sentence: A module generates an object A with a feature X and an object B with the feature X.
I want to shortend the sentence to: A module generates objects A and B that each has a feature X.
But someone told me that I should write: A module generates objects A and B that each have a feature X, i.e., use "have" instead of "has".
This makes me confused because I thought "that each has" is for modifying "each of the objects A and B" (singular) but not "the objects A and B" (plural).
I want to know which one is correct? and the reason is?
Thanks!
Grammar problem about "that each has/have"
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Re: Grammar problem about "that each has/have"
A very good question!
'Each' in
*A module generates objects A and B that each has a feature X.
functions not as a subject (in which case it certainly would be singular) but simply as a kind of adverbial. The true subject of the underlined clause is the relative pronoun 'that', whose antecedent here is the plural noun 'objects', which means that the main verb of the relative clause must be plural.
The correct form of your sentence is therefore:
*A module generates objects A and B that each have a feature X.
'Each' in
*A module generates objects A and B that each has a feature X.
functions not as a subject (in which case it certainly would be singular) but simply as a kind of adverbial. The true subject of the underlined clause is the relative pronoun 'that', whose antecedent here is the plural noun 'objects', which means that the main verb of the relative clause must be plural.
The correct form of your sentence is therefore:
*A module generates objects A and B that each have a feature X.