# One of the few pictures that have/has made me laugh



## gridz

¡Hola! ¿Cual sería la forma correcta de las 2?

This is one of the few pictures that has actually made me laugh

This is one of the few pictures that have actually made me laugh



¡Muchísimas gracias!


----------



## Mackinder

gridz said:


> ¡Hola! ¿Cual sería la forma correcta de las 2?
> 
> This is one of the few pictures that has actually made me laugh
> 
> This is one of the few pictures that have actually made me laugh
> 
> ¡Muchísimas gracias!


----------



## horsewishr

Sorry, Ginazec.  The rule in English is that the subject of the sentence cannot be contained within a prepositional phrase.  So the correct phrase is:

This is one (of the few pictures) that has actually made me laugh.


----------



## Mackinder

horsewishr said:


> Sorry, Ginazec.  The rule in English is that the subject of the sentence cannot be contained within a prepositional phrase.  So the correct phrase is:
> 
> This is one (of the few pictures) that has actually made me laugh.



Oops sorry I thought it was like this:

This is one of the few pictures that have actually made me laugh

In my whole life, I've seen 500 pictures  Out of them, only 10 have managed to make laugh.
Last night, I saw the 500th picture, and so I said to myself "_This is one of the few pictures (10 pictures) that have actually made me laugh_"


Sorry for the mistake!


----------



## echinocereus

I'm sorry, Horswishr, but I do not agree.  I think Ginazec is correct here.  That subordinate clause is an adjective clause and the antecedent of its relative pronoun "that" is "pictures" and not "one" and therefore the second verb should agree with pictures, a plural.  I think the appropriate verb form is "have."  I also like Ginazec's suggestion of a context for the problem sentence.  Saludos.


----------



## Chris K

This is one of [set] [set = the few pictures that *have* actually made me laugh].


----------



## gridz

Hello everyone and thank you for your answers. They were really helpful!


----------



## Chasint

echinocereus said:


> I'm sorry, Horswishr, but I do not agree.  I think Ginazec is correct here.  That subordinate clause is an adjective clause and the antecedent of its relative pronoun "that" is "pictures" and not "one" and therefore the second verb should agree with pictures, a plural.  I think the appropriate verb form is "have."  I also like Ginazec's suggestion of a context for the problem sentence.  Saludos.


I agree and here is my reasoning based on reordering the words:

Original: _This is one_ of the few _pictures_ that _have_ actually made me laugh.

Paraphrase: A few _pictures have_ actually made me laugh and _this is one _[of them].


----------



## Bill Osler

I don't know that rewording the sentence necessarily solves the problem since recasting sometimes changes the outcome, but I agree that "have" is the correct answer according to grammar books.
See, for example: http://www.oxonianreview.org/wp/one-of-those-grammatical-errors/
That said, I suspect that a large number of educated native speakers of US English will say/write "has" in this setting.


----------



## SevenDays

Ah, another one of those issues where one apparently must take sides: _that *have* actually made me laugh _or _that *has* actually made me laugh_. The problem here is that both sides have a pretty good argument to make. Those who favor "have" see the antecedent of the relative pronoun "that" in terms of *proximity*: the noun closest to "that" is the plural "pictures," which means that the verb in the subordinate clause must be plural as well. Those who favor "has" see the antecedent in terms of *meaning*, in that only one picture is had in mind. This meaning comes through in rewrite: o_f the few pictures, this is one that has made me laugh_. Unfortunately (or perhaps, _fortunately_), English doesn't have an "Academy" to settle this matter conclusively. The upshot of all this is that both "have" and "has" are admissible, and both are commonly found in literature. What to do? I think it all comes down to which _sounds_ better; a highly subjective judgment. Yet, you'll see usage manuals that strenuously condemn singular agreement ("that has actually made me laugh"), citing the proximity approach. But the concept of "proximity" is descriptive: it simply explains a particular type of agreement: that between the relative pronoun and its antecedent. In other words, "proximity" is not prescriptive; it is by no means a "rule."  
Cheers


----------



## James2000

Seven

How would that sentence be translated into Spanish?

Este es uno de los dibujos que me ha/han hecho reír.

The RAE says both are acceptable (http://lema.rae.es/dpd/srv/search?key=concordancia&origen=RAE#411), although the plural is _more _correct.  It seems like (based on a Google search of similar phrases) both are commonly used, but the plural form seems to win.

https://www.google.co.za/search?q=%22una+de+las+razones+por+las+que%22++%22una+de+las+razones+por+la+que%22&oq=%22una+de+las+razones+por+las+que%22++%22una+de+las+razones+por+la+que%22&aqs=chrome.0.69i57.23527j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=78aff7fc4748b764&q=%22una+de+las+razones+por+las+que%22++
https://www.google.co.za/search?q="...c4748b764&q="una+de+las+razones+por+la+que"++


----------



## Chasint

Having read the contributions of others, I have come to the conclusion that both singular and plural are possible, not because of proximity but entirely because of perceived meaning.

First of all, let us simplify the sentence to the following:- "This is one of the pictures that has/have made me laugh."

1. Justification for the singular verb

This is one of the pictures that has made me laugh. ---> This is one (of the pictures) that has made me laugh. ---> Of the pictures, this is one that has made me laugh.

2. Justification for the plural verb

This is one of the pictures that have made me laugh. ---> This is one (of the pictures that have made me laugh). ---> Of the pictures that have made me laugh, this is one.

Conclusion
The two statements have different meanings. 
Version 1 implies that I have looked at several pictures and one of them has made me laugh. We cannot be certain that any others have been amusing. 
Version 2 implies that I have been made to laugh by several pictures and this is one of the [plurality of] amusing ones. We must conclude that at least one other has been amusing.


----------



## echinocereus

The OP wrote "of the FEW pictures."  I still read the intent of Gridz's sentence as "a few pictures have made me laugh" and "this is one of those pictures _(there have been a few)_ that have made me laugh."    Or, Biffo, "Of the few pictures that have made me laugh, this is one."


----------



## gridz

I want to thank everyone for their answers and contributions to the thread. Keep them coming, though I'm more inclined for 'HAVE' in this context.


----------



## Chasint

echinocereus said:


> The OP wrote "of the FEW pictures."  I still read the intent of Gridz's sentence as "a few pictures have made me laugh" and "this is one of those pictures _(there have been a few)_ that have made me laugh."    Or, Biffo, "Of the few pictures that have made me laugh, this is one."


I agree that reinstating 'few' makes it more difficult to justify the singular interpretation, i.e.

_This is one of the few pictures that has made me laugh. ---> __This is one (of the few pictures) that has made me laugh. ---> Of the few pictures, this is one that has made me laugh._

The last sentence makes us wonder "What few pictures are we talking about?".  However we could always add context to make it work.

I should point out that my first thought was to agree with you. My second thought was to try and come up with a way that made the singular verb valid. However I never stopped believing that the plural verb conveys the most likely meaning and it is easier to justify.


----------



## juan2937

horsewishr said:


> Sorry, Ginazec.  The rule in English is that the subject of the sentence cannot be contained within a prepositional phrase.  So the correct phrase is:
> 
> This is one (of the few pictures) that has actually made me laugh.



According to 'Oxford Guide to English Grammar' after'one of' a singular verb should be used :

*One of* _these letters_ is for you= singular verb

one of= prepositional phrase
These letters= subject
But the verb agrees with ONE of.


----------



## echinocereus

Hi, Juan2937, Yes, your sentence contains a single clause and the subject is "one," but the OP's sentence contains two clauses and refers to a different situation.  Un saludo.


----------



## SevenDays

James2000 said:


> Seven
> 
> How would that sentence be translated into Spanish?
> 
> Este es uno de los dibujos que me ha/han hecho reír.
> 
> The RAE says both are acceptable (http://lema.rae.es/dpd/srv/search?key=concordancia&origen=RAE#411), although the plural is _more _correct.  It seems like (based on a Google search of similar phrases) both are commonly used, but the plural form seems to win.
> 
> https://www.google.co.za/search?q="...4748b764&q="una+de+las+razones+por+las+que"++
> https://www.google.co.za/search?q="...c4748b764&q="una+de+las+razones+por+la+que"++



Both are acceptable, as you say. The RAE entry is riddled with qualifiers: _la concordancia gramatical más correcta ... es en *plural*; pero también se admite la concordancia en *singular*; preferentemente...*plural*; aunque también se admita el *singular*,_ etc., and round and round we go. Now, in my own usage, I'm partial to the singular form because what made me laugh is "one" drawing: _que me ha hecho reír; that has made me laugh_. But I do understand why the plural has preference in Spanish: in addition to the concept of proximity that I described in my previous post, the plural noun "dibujos" is concrete while the singular "one" (an indefinite pronoun) is abstract, and so the verb "han" is matched with the plural element because it is concrete, _defined,_ in our minds. 
Cheers


----------



## geostan

Regardless of the reasoning of some of the posters, if the antecedent to a relative clause is plural, the subordinate verb is normally plural. And often the bottom line for me is whether or not it comes naturally to  my ear. And in the example given at the outset, it is definitely the plural form that sounds right. The only exception would be a sentence in which the relative pronoun can be made to refer to a singular noun or pronoun that precedes the prepositional phrase.


----------



## juan2937

echinocereus said:


> Hi, Juan2937, Yes, your sentence contains a single clause and the subject is "one," but the OP's sentence contains two clauses and refers to a different situation.  Un saludo.



Sorry, Echinocereus,, since I see only one clause as subject : (this is  *one of *the few pictures) this is a linking *or copular sentence as subject that has actually made me laugh*  (subordinate clause) relative type.I cannot understand if the copular  sentence is ruled by the quantifier *ONE OF* is different ? Thanks.


----------



## Chasint

juan2937 said:


> According to 'Oxford Guide to English Grammar' after'one of' a singulkar verb should be used :
> 
> *One of* _these letters_ is for you= singular verb
> 
> one of= prepositional phrase
> These letters= subject
> But the verb agrees with ONE of.


There is no argument about the sentence _"One of these letters is for you."_ 

However if we change the structure to match that of the original text, we get: "_This is one of the few letters that are for you."_

The difference is that in the first, the word 'one' is the *subject* of the verb 'is'.  However, in the second, 'one' is the *predicate* of the self-contained clause "This is one". The verb in that clause is singular.

There is no conflict with the Oxford Guide.


----------



## juan2937

Biffo said:


> There is no argument about the sentence _"One of these letters is for you."_
> However if we change the structure to match that of the original text, we get: "_This is one of the few letters that are for you."_
> The difference is that in the first, the word 'one' is the *subject* of the verb 'is'.  However, in the second, 'one' is the *predicate* of the self-contained clause "This is one". The verb in that clause is singular.
> There is no conflict with the Oxford Guide.


Thanks Biffo, but my doubt is : The whole copular or linking clause is the subject, and the ruling prepositional phrase ONE OF or quantifier that is the attribute of the linking clause, it states that is one of a few letters that made me laugh, I surmise that just *one *made me laugh. Is it correct?


----------



## Chasint

juan2937 said:


> Thanks Biffo, but my doubt is : The whole copular or linking clause is the subject, and the ruling prepositional phrase ONE OF or quantifier that is the attribute of the linking clause, it states that is one of a few letters that made me laugh, I surmise that just *one *made me laugh. Is it correct?


That was the entire purpose of my post #12. In it I discussed this very point. In fact I argued that both interpretations are possible. However I deliberately used a simplified sentence.  Later, however, I stated that the word 'few' in the original text makes the plural version much more likely.

Ginazec's substitution of an actual number in the place of 'few' makes things even clearer. Try replacing 'few' with '10' in the original text and you will see what he meant.


----------



## echinocereus

Perfect, Biffo and Ginazec.  The minute one substitutes "ten" for "few," I think it becomes overpoweringly obvious that one needs the plural verb "have."  I think that happens in Spanish too:  "Ésta es una de las diez fotos que me han hecho réír." _(Si "pictures" se refiere a fotos... )_


----------



## juan2937

Biffo said:


> That was the entire purpose of my post #12. In it I discussed this very point. In fact I argued that both interpretations are possible. However I deliberately used a simplified sentence.  Later, however, I stated that the word 'few' in the original text makes the plural version much more likely.
> Ginazec's substitution of an actual number in the place of 'few' makes things even clearer. Try replacing 'few' with '10' in the original text and you will see what he meant.



I still not understand it. *One of t*he ten picrures made me laugh, It is *one *that made me laugh not the whole ten pictures, otherwise you won't use one of but* all of.* Is it correct? thanks.


----------



## Peterdg

This *is* *one* of the *few pictures* that *have*  made me laugh. Blue corresponds with blue and red corresponds with red.


----------



## SevenDays

Why does "few" or "10" tilt the choice in favor of the plural "have"? It's intriguing, but I'm not quite sure I see the connection. The point of the sentence is that "one" picture is _singled out_ for reference, and it is that one picture that agrees with the singular "has." If someone came in late to the conversation and heard "_of the few pictures that have made me laugh, this is one_," he might be naturally inclined to ask, _this is one what?_, to which the answer would have to be "_this is one that has made me laugh,_" and that's the same singuarl "has" that's been the subject of discussion here. Of course, because any "one" of the "few" pictures could be selected for reference (in other words, _none_ of the "few" pictures is ruled out for possible reference), there is a "plural" sense involved, hence the preference for the plural "have." Both choices, singular and plural, have merit. 

What juan2937 says makes sense: the whole string "_of the few pictures_" is a modifier of  "one." If we removed the modifier/prepositional phrase, we end up with the copulative construction "this is one that has made me laugh," which shows that this "one," at a deeper syntactic level, is singular as well. "This is one that has made me laugh" is perfectly fine from a syntactic point of view (subject-linking verb-subject complement) but is wanting from a semantic perspective; we need the prep. phrase to make sense of the sentence. 
Cheers


----------



## Chasint

juan2937 said:


> I still not understand it. *One of t*he ten picrures made me laugh, It is *one *that made me laugh not the whole ten pictures, otherwise you won't use one of but* all of.* Is it correct? thanks.


That is the crux of the problem. We are saying that 10 pictures made me laugh. Look at the following:

_Ten pictures made me laugh. This picture is [just] one of the ten pictures that made me laugh._

It's clear that pictures is plural. Please can you put your argument in full with reference to the actual sentence.  That way we have something to discuss.


----------



## juan2937

Biffo said:


> That is the crux of the problem. We are saying that 10 pictures made me laugh. Look at the following:
> _Ten pictures made me laugh. This picture is [just] one of the ten pictures that made me laugh._
> It's clear that pictures is plural. Please can you put your argument in full with reference to the actual sentence.  That way we have something to discuss.



*Ten pictures made me laugh* here I surmise that all of the ten pictures made me laugh. *Past tense (in English)* is not the ideal to prove singular or plural, but it is clear the subject is plural.
This picture is ONE OF the ten pictures that made me laugh ( here I surmise that just one made laugh, if it were Present Indicative I would use a singular verb.
This picture is *one of *the ten pictures that *makes  *me laugh. Just one.
*All of *the ten pictures make me laugh. Here are all.
*Some of* the ten pictures make me laugh. Here I do understand that some but not all or one picture makes me laugh.


----------



## Chasint

juan2937 said:


> *Ten pictures made me laugh* here I surmise that all of the ten pictures made me laugh. *Past tense (in English)* is not the ideal to prove singular or plural, but it is clear the subject is plural.
> This picture is ONE OF the ten pictures that made me laugh ( here I surmise that just one made laugh, if it were Present Indicative I would use a singular verb.
> This picture is *one of *the ten pictures that *makes  *me laugh. Just one.
> *All of *the ten pictures make me laugh. Here are all.
> *Some of* the ten pictures make me laugh. Here I do understand that some but not all or one picture makes me laugh.


Okay. I agree that using past tense doesn't help.

Let's make the context absolutely explicit because I think that's the only way to resolve this. I'll use Ginazec's example as part of this.

Scenario 1

There are 100 pictures. I look at them all. Ten of them make me laugh. I point to just one picture and say. "This is one of the ten pictures that make me laugh."

Scenario 2

There are ten pictures. I look at all of them. Only one makes me laugh. I point to that one picture and say "This is one of the ten pictures that makes me laugh."

Now the problem with this second one is that it doesn't make sense. I could however say "This is one of the ten pictures; it makes me laugh."

Over to you!


----------



## juan2937

Biffo said:


> Okay. I agree that using past tense doesn't help.
> 
> Let's make the context absolutely explicit because I think that's the only way to resolve this. I'll use Ginazec's example as part of this.
> 
> Scenario 1
> 
> There are 100 pictures. I look at them all. Ten of them make me laugh. I point to just *one *picture and say. "This is one of the ten pictures that make me laugh."
> 
> This is *one of *the ten pictures, here is the problem ( total amount is ten pictures but just one of these ten pictures *makes *me laugh ( *one of *is a quantifier or a partitive of the ten, *NOT the ten neither some of or most of, all of, JUST one.
> Scenario 2*
> 
> There are ten pictures. I look at all of them. Only one makes me laugh. I point to that one picture and say "This is one of the ten pictures that makes me laugh."
> 
> Now the problem with this second one is that it doesn't make sense. I could however say "This is one of the ten pictures; it makes me laugh."
> Why it does not make sense? you can point to 100 pictures but if you  use ONE OF them (100) is just *one *that *makes *me laugh. One of is a partitive quantifier that expresses ONE picture, the same in Spanish *es uno de los cuadros que me causa risa*, no decimos CAUSAN.
> Over to you!


----------



## loudspeaker

gridz said:


> This is one of the few pictures that has actually made me laugh.
> This is one of the few pictures that have actually made me laugh.



A few pictures have made me laugh. 
One of the few pictures that have actually made me laugh is this. 
This is one of the pictures. 
What set of pictures is this one of? 
The set of "the few pictures that have actually made me laugh". 
 So 'This is one of the few pictures that *have* actually made me laugh.' 

Simple, isn't it?


----------



## Chasint

loudspeaker said:


> A few pictures have made me laugh.
> One of the few pictures that have actually made me laugh is this.
> This is one of the pictures.
> What set of pictures is this one of?
> The set of "the few pictures that have actually made me laugh".
> So 'This is one of the few pictures that *have* actually made me laugh.'
> 
> Simple, isn't it?


With respect I don't think you've read the thread. This point has been made before, see #6. It has also been made implicitly without the actual use of the word "set" (by me for example).

The point is that a plausible argument has been made for the alternative point of view. We need to address that directly rather than simply state one point of view or the other.


----------



## loudspeaker

Biffo said:


> With respect I don't think you've read the thread. This point has been made before, see #6. It has also been made implicitly without the actual use of the word "set" (by me for example).
> 
> The point is that a plausible argument has been made for the alternative point of view. We need to address that directly rather than simply state one point of view or the other.



Sí, leí el hilo antes de constar. Yo no tengo nada que argumentar porque para mí sólo cabe una respuesta para el mensaje uno (have). 
Si alguien cree que 'has' es posible,  que argumente todo lo que quiera
Me he limitado a contestar la pregunta del mensaje uno, como han hecho otros tantos foreros. 
Saludos


----------



## echinocereus

Biffo, I don’t believe that any plausible argument has been made for the use of "has" in the original sentence presented to us by Gridz.  Considering only that original sentence and its original component parts with its own original word order, I think the only correct answer is "have."  A number of foreros have expressed the same view.  Let me try one more time:

The original sentence with the original words in the original word order has two parts, two clauses, one main or independent clause and one subordinate or dependent clause.  

Part A:  This is one of the few pictures...

Part B:  ...that have actually made me laugh.

Part A, an independent clause, should be able to stand alone, but it seems incomplete.  Why?  Because of the phrase “THE few pictures.”  “The” tells us that the speaker has a particular few pictures in mind.  Specific pictures.  After reading only Part A, the question that comes to mind is “Which pictures?”  Or “What pictures?”  The answer to that question is Part B, _(the few pictures)_ that have actually made me laugh.  Part B completes the sentence because it clarifies which pictures the speaker has in mind.

The subject of Part B, the relative pronoun “that” refers to “pictures,” its antecedent, and takes its number, plural, from that antecedent.  The verb in Part B can only be the plural “have.”

Have a good week, foreros.


----------



## SevenDays

But it can also be argued that the speaker has "one" picture in mind, because, by saying "this is one," he has singled out "one" of the "few" pictures that made him laugh, and it is that "one" that agrees with the singular verb in the relative that-clause. The that-clause completes the meaning of the sentence, and it can do so with a verb in singular or plural form; the number of the verb doesn't affect the syntactic function of the relative that-clause. Obviously, we won't reach consensus here, but that's not surprising, for there is no consensus among experts either. I haven't been able to find a source that speaks specifically to "one of the few," but several speak to "one of." 

In favor of has/have:
*one of those *... singular or plural verbs can be used after_ one of those (people) who_. The alternative also present themselves after _one of the things that_ ... For most writers, the choice depends on whether you are thinking of a single case or a general principle ... Writers using the singular take their cue from _one_, whereas the plural users are responding to _those [people]_ or _the things_.
The Cambridge Guide to English Usage (2004), p. 394.

*one of those who* Some critics argue that _who_ should be followed by a plural verb ... They would extend the rule to inanimate nouns, as in _The sports car turned out to be one of the most successful products that were manufactured in this country_. But the use of the singular verb is common, even among the best writers, and the Usage Panel has a long history of division on this matter. Notice that when the phrase containing one is introduced by the definite article, the verb in the relative clause must be singular. _He is the only one of the students who has_ [not have] _already taken Latin_.
The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and Style (2005), p. 331.

*one of those things/one of those who* ... the choice of a singular or plural verb ... is a matter of notional agreement: is _one_ or _those_ to be the master? ... there is abundant evidence that _one_ has controlled number in modern English sentences from Shakespeare to James L. Kirkpatrick, and there is likely abundant evidence that _those_ has controlled number in other sentences. 
Webster's Dictionary of English Usage (1989), p. 690. 

*One of*. ... a singular is often used here, as in _one of the best books that has appeared_. This construction is condemned by many grammarians on the grounds of logic. But it is found in the earliest English and has been used by some of the greatest writers. It shows that the writer still has _one_ in mind.
A Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage (1957), p. 337.

Against "has:"
*one of the ... who, etc. *... when it appears in a sentence with a clause, usually with a clause containing _who_ or _that_, people often go astray: ... _one of a handful of Democrats who has not said how he will vote_ ... _Who_ pertains to the people just mentioned, not to "one."
Penguin Dictionary of American English Usage and Style (2000), p. 276.

*one of the [ + pl. n.] who (or that)*. This construction requires a plural verb in the relative clause, not a singular one. After the _who_ or _that_, the verb should be plural because _who_ or _that_ is the subject, and it takes its number from the plural noun to which _who _or _that_ refers. 
Garner's Modern American Usage (2003), p. 572.

*one of the, one of those*. There are no more innocent-seeming lures to bad grammar than these two everyday phrases, which delude writes, no matter how practiced, into joining a singular verb to a plural subject: ... The error is easy to fall into, and perhaps not hard to explain[:] _Dan is one of those people who talks before he thinks_ ... [one] has foremost in mind, not the class of people who speak too soon, but _Dan_, who is only one person. _Dan_, then, seems the subject of the entire sentence, though he is in fact part of a class (people) which is the true subject of the verb and therefore govern its number. 
Wilson Follett's Modern American Usage (1998), p. 216-217.

Follett comes close to refuting my argument: that "one" is singled out for reference, and it is that "one" that can properly govern the verb in the relative clause. Follett says that "one" is part of "people," and that "people" is the true subject. But to counter Follett's argument, Webster's says "The trouble with the firm rule of Follett ... is that it has no firm foundation of usage to support it: it is largely airy theory" (Webster's, p. 689). 

Cheers


----------



## echinocereus

Very interesting post, SevenDays.  I particularly like the example: "He is the only one of the students who has not already taken Latin."  "The only" does force the singular verb in the relative clause.  Without that addition I would return to: "He is one of the students who have not already taken Latin."  I definitely would say: "Dan is of those people who talk before they think."  It is obvious that these structures in English present some thorny issues, but we do have ways, with a little careful rephrasing, to avoid some "uncomfortable" constructions.  However, returning to the sentence presented by Gridz, I continue to believe that there is one correct answer to his question:  "have."  Saludos.


----------



## SevenDays

Thank you, echinocereus. Reading your post made me realize that I inadvertently misquoted the_ American Heritage_ entry; it should be "when the phrase containing one is introduced by the definite article, the verb in the relative clause must be singular" (not "plural," as I wrote). I'll go back and change it. In the meantime, why not two more opinions? Once you start looking for sources, they pop up everywhere. This one speaks to what's been said here, about reversing the sentence:

*Error induced by "one."* ... "Kwame Nkrumah, Africa's child and Ghana's father, is one of those men who was born a leader"; "It is also perhaps one of the few stories that does not overplay a brisk desire to keep distillers and brewsmasters solvent." In neither instance does the one govern the verb ... This becomes evident if you turn each sentence around: "Of those men who were born leaders, Nkrumah is one," ...
The Careful Writer (1965), p. 302.

And then there is this, with an interesting view on the "of" prepositional phrase:
*Agreement, number of verb after one of those who (which, that). *Summary: In standard English sentences ... the verb in the independent clause may agree in number with the plural antecedent of the relative pronoun (i.e., _one of those who are_) or it may agree in number with the singular _one_ (_one of those who is_), with the prepositional phrase of those (and similar phrases) regarded as an intervening modifier.
Current American Usage, Margaret M. Bryant, (1962), p. 12.

In any event, enough; it's only 3.00 pm here, but after reading up on these sources, I think I need a drink, or two (I wonder what Jack Daniel's has to say about all this).
Cheers


----------



## echinocereus

Whatever JD has to say, SevenDays, I am confident it will be pleasant and I think you need some restful moments after your hard work today on WR.   

I'm certain that I will continue to use a plural verb in a "one of those... who, which... " situations except in those instances in which it obviously would be stubborn folly to insist on a plural verb where the singular verb truly makes better sense, i.e. your cited sentence "He is the only one of the students who has not already taken Latin."  

Más saludos.


----------



## gridz

Thanks to everyone for their answers and effort and I apologise to everyone for the late reply.


----------



## kalamazoo

I also think that the plural is better here.  There is the implication that several pictures have made me laugh and this is one of them.  this is different from saying "one of the letters that came today is for you' which doesn't mean that several of the letters are for you and this is one of them.  This is more like saying "This is one of the people who work with me."


----------



## juan2937

SevenDays said:


> Thank you, echinocereus. Reading your post made me realize that I inadvertently misquoted the_ American Heritage_ entry; it should be "when the phrase containing one is introduced by the definite article, the verb in the relative clause must be singular" (not "plural," as I wrote). I'll go back and change it. In the meantime, why not two more opinions? Once you start looking for sources, they pop up everywhere. This one speaks to what's been said here, about reversing the sentence:
> 
> *Error induced by "one."* ... "Kwame Nkrumah, Africa's child and Ghana's father, is one of those men who was born a leader"; "It is also perhaps one of the few stories that does not overplay a brisk desire to keep distillers and brewsmasters solvent." In neither instance does the one govern the verb ... This becomes evident if you turn each sentence around: "Of those men who were born leaders, Nkrumah is one," ...
> The Careful Writer (1965), p. 302.
> 
> And then there is this, with an interesting view on the "of" prepositional phrase:
> *Agreement, number of verb after one of those who (which, that). *Summary: In standard English sentences ... the verb in the independent clause may agree in number with the plural antecedent of the relative pronoun (i.e., _one of those who are_) or it may agree in number with the singular _one_ (_one of those who is_), with the prepositional phrase of those (and similar phrases) regarded as an intervening modifier.
> Current American Usage, Margaret M. Bryant, (1962), p. 12.
> 
> In any event, enough; it's only 3.00 pm here, but after reading up on these sources, I think I need a drink, or two (I wonder what Jack Daniel's has to say about all this).
> Cheers



Sevendays, Dean Martin will remind you not to drink it.
ONE OF is a partitive that singles out one person, thing or idea the subject could be a noun, a gerund or Humanized construction or a sentence or a clause

I'am one of my brothers that has a car, I picture one person, myself.

The subject is not brothers, it is the whole linking clause *I am one of my brothers* that has a car, if I were to express two or more of my brothers that have a car I would use  Two younger brothers and myself have a car.

Thanks for your help Sevendays take care of Jack Daniels. Cheers!!!!


----------



## horsewishr

horsewishr said:


> Sorry, Ginazec.  The rule in English is that the subject of the sentence cannot be contained within a prepositional phrase.  So the correct phrase is:
> 
> This is one (of the few pictures) that has actually made me laugh.


I wanted to edit my post, but I don't seem to be able to.  After reading all of your responses, I realize that I was wrong.  ¡Qué verguenza!  I had that silly rule in my head, and never really thought about the sentence!  I'm sure the verb should be plural.


----------



## kalamazoo

There are several take-away lessons here. For the non-native speakers, don't worry too much because as you see the native speakers are confused and divided and can't figure this out either half the time.  For everyone, if there is any possibility for misunderstanding, rewrite the sentence: "There are only a few pictures that have actually made me laugh and this is one of them."  Or something similar.


----------



## echinocereus

A useful observation and a helpful suggestion, Kalamazoo.


----------



## gridz

I see, I want to thank everyone for their input and apologise for the late reply once again. I like the fact that this got about 45 replies, shows how helpful and alive the community is.

Cheers!


----------



## LaReinita

I would say "This is one of the few pictures that HAS made me laugh."  The verb is not describing the preposition, but ONE.


----------



## kalamazoo

The question really is what does "that" refer to, and in a lot of constructions, the "that' would refer to the pictures not to the one picture. For instance, "This is one of the few pictures that show Justin Timberlake in the third grade."  There are four such pictures and this is one of them.


----------



## chamyto

juan2937 said:


> According to 'Oxford Guide to English Grammar' after'one of' a singular verb should be used :
> 
> *One of* _these letters_ is for you= singular verb
> 
> one of= prepositional phrase
> These letters= subject
> But the verb agrees with ONE of.



I do agree.








Biffo said:


> There is no argument about the sentence _"One of these letters is for you."_
> 
> However if we change the structure to match that of the original text, we get: "_This is one of the few letters that are for you."_
> 
> The difference is that in the first, the word 'one' is the *subject* of the verb 'is'. However, in the second, 'one' is the *predicate* of the self-contained clause "This is one". The verb in that clause is singular.
> 
> There is no conflict with the Oxford Guide.



But the meaning is not the same: In the above example I will receive only one letter; whereas in your example I will receive several letters.


----------



## kalamazoo

If we say "one of these letters is for you" then "One" is the subject.  But the topic under discussion is "This is one of the few pictures that has actually made me laugh" in which one is the predicate not the subject.  The issue is whether the relative clause beginning with that refers to the 'one' or to "the few."  It can be interpreted as a restrictive clause referring to "pictures."  Try this sentence: He is one of the few people who speak Esperanto.  

Here's an example from National Geographic:
*There is excellent cell phone coverage* at the bottom of the Yangtze River, although Huang Dejian is one of the few people who know this.


----------



## Chasint

Oh dear. This thread has gone full circle since I last read it. The same positions are being taken repeatedly without taking into account what has been said before.

I urge people to read the following by kalamazoo because it sums the whole thing up. [in my opinion]



kalamazoo said:


> If we say "one of these letters is for you" then "One" is the subject. But the topic under discussion is "This is one of the few pictures that has actually made me laugh" in which one is the predicate not the subject. The issue is whether the relative clause beginning with that refers to the 'one' or to "the few." It can be interpreted as a restrictive clause referring to "pictures." Try this sentence: He is one of the few people who speak Esperanto.
> 
> Here's an example from National Geographic:
> *There is excellent cell phone coverage* at the bottom of the Yangtze River, although Huang Dejian is one of the few people who know this.


The only thing missing, kalamazoo, is your final conclusion based on the above argument. How would you now answer post #1?


----------



## SevenDays

Yes, we are going round and round. The question of _what_ is the subject in the copulative construction "this is one" is not that clear to discern either.  By canonical placement (where subjects precede verbs), we can argue that "this" is the subject, and "one" predicate. But copulative constructions have one characteristic: the order can be reversed (_John is the president of the company; The president of the company is John_). When two elements are semantically vague (as "this" and "one" are), that which is _defined_ in some fashion can be considered "subject," as "one" is here because it's modified by a prepositional phrase. The sentence, under this reasoning, is complex: the main clause has undergone reversal, with the "true" subject ("one") appearing after the verb.  In a canonical order (subject first, verb second), the actual syntactic structure (or "deep" structure) appears: _One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this (one), _which is similar to _One of these letters is for you; _both have "one" as subject. (I think it's time for yet another drink....)
Cheers


----------



## kalamazoo

My answer to the original question would be that the best answer is "This is one of the few pictures that have made me laugh."  .


----------



## Chasint

kalamazoo said:


> My answer to the original question would be that the best answer is "This is one of the few pictures that have made me laugh."  .


I agree.
However I find myself in an odd situation. Your reasoning and conclusion are impeccable and they agree with my instinctive reading of the sentence when I first saw it. Yet I am now in the position of someone looking at one of those 3D line-drawings of a cube. I keep seeing the opposite of whichever version I am reading*. Maybe it's because we discussed it so long!

________________________________________________
*Not through logic but through a feeling of 'rightness' and 'wrongness'


----------



## Chasint

SevenDays said:


> Yes, we are going round and round. The question of what is the subject in the copulative construction "this is one" is not that clear to discern either. By canonical placement (where subjects precede verbs), we can argue that "this" is the subject, and "one" predicate. But copulative constructions have one characteristic: the order can be reversed (John is the president of the company; The president of the company is John). When two elements are semantically vague (as "this" and "one" are), that which is defined in some fashion can be considered "subject," as "one" is here because it's modified by a prepositional phrase. The sentence, under this reasoning, is complex: the main clause has undergone reversal, with the "true" subject ("one") appearing after the verb. In a canonical order (subject first, verb second), the actual syntactic structure (or "deep" structure) appears: One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this (one), which is similar to One of these letters is for you; both have "one" as subject. (I think it's time for yet another drink....)
> Cheers


If I understanding you correctly, you are saying that the true answer is, _One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this (one)_. The problem with this is that, even if we accept your verdict unquestioningly, you have ended up with a sentence that doesn't make sense on its own.

Reasoning

1. Let's keep the 'one' to make your conclusion even clearer. _One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this one._

2. Your sentence is equivalent to One (of the few pictures) that has made me laugh is this one. There is no grammatical problem with that.

3. Now let's do a simple change of word order. _Of the few pictures, one that has made me laugh is this one._ Again it is grammatically correct, but what does it actually mean?

4. In (3), what are 'The few pictures'? Normal English usage requires that 'the' has some kind of antecedent. Yet we have not mentioned any pictures before. Your reading compels us to invent (or assume) some extra context, e.g.
_I have seen a few pictures. Of the few pictures, one that has made me laugh is this one._

5. The above meaning is certainly possible but (a) it sounds a little odd and (b) is it what was intended by the original sentence? I don't think so. 

What do you think?


----------



## juan2937

Biffo said:


> If I understanding you correctly, you are saying that the true answer is, _One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this (one)_. The problem with this is that, even if we accept your verdict unquestioningly, you have ended up with a sentence that doesn't make sense on its own.
> Reasoning
> 1. Let's keep the 'one' to make your conclusion even clearer. _One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this one._
> 2. Your sentence is equivalent to One (of the few pictures) that has made me laugh is this one. There is no grammatical problem with that.
> 
> 3. Now let's do a simple change of word order. _Of the few pictures, one that has made me laugh is this one._ Again it is grammatically correct, but what does it actually mean?
> 
> 4. In (3), what are 'The few pictures'? Normal English usage requires that 'the' has some kind of antecedent. Yet we have not mentioned any pictures before. Your reading compels us to invent (or assume) some extra context, e.g.
> _I have seen a few pictures. Of the few pictures, one that has made me laugh is this one._
> 
> 5. The above meaning is certainly possible but (a) it sounds a little odd and (b) is it what was intended by the original sentence? I don't think so.
> 
> What do you think?



to look a picture is to see just one and that one makes me laugh. From the point of optics we cannot look  some pictures at the same time ( focus in  one) that one  elicits my laugh.


----------



## kalamazoo

I think something about the "pictures" is confusing.  Try sentences with "people" instead.  Here's the National Geographic sentence again:
*There is excellent cell phone coverage* at the bottom of the Yangtze River, although Huang Dejian is one of the few people who know this.

How about 
Joe is one of the few people who have made me laugh, vs.
Joe is one of the few people who has made me laugh?


----------



## SevenDays

Biffo said:


> If I understanding you correctly, you are saying that the true answer is, _One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this (one)_. The problem with this is that, even if we accept your verdict unquestioningly, you have ended up with a sentence that doesn't make sense on its own.
> 
> Reasoning
> 
> 1. Let's keep the 'one' to make your conclusion even clearer. _One of the few pictures that has made me laugh is this one._
> 
> 2. Your sentence is equivalent to One (of the few pictures) that has made me laugh is this one. There is no grammatical problem with that.
> 
> 3. Now let's do a simple change of word order. _Of the few pictures, one that has made me laugh is this one._ Again it is grammatically correct, but what does it actually mean?
> 
> 4. In (3), what are 'The few pictures'? Normal English usage requires that 'the' has some kind of antecedent. Yet we have not mentioned any pictures before. Your reading compels us to invent (or assume) some extra context, e.g.
> _I have seen a few pictures. Of the few pictures, one that has made me laugh is this one._
> 
> 5. The above meaning is certainly possible but (a) it sounds a little odd and (b) is it what was intended by the original sentence? I don't think so.
> 
> What do you think?



If, with no context, all we have is: 
*Of the few pictures, one that has made me laugh is this one*
Then the conclusion is that "the few pictures" has _no antecedent_. This in itself is not a problem; in fact, it's quite common. For example, in *I read in the paper today that inflation is going up*, and in *the weather forecast calls for rain later this afternoon*, "the paper" and "the weather" have no explicit antecedents either. The article "the" plays a different function: it marks the nouns "few pictures," "paper" and "weather" as _definite_, and "the" needs no antecedent to do this. "Definite" means that the nouns are known in the discourse, either to speaker and hearer (they both _understand_ the concept of "paper" and "weather forecast," which is reason enough to mark them as definite) or just to the speaker, as is the case with our "few pictures" example. Here, the speaker selects, from the totality of pictures known to him, _the few_ that made him laugh; hence the definite article. Now, structure matters; in this example, "of the few pictures" is restricted to is own sphere, that of adjunct. In the main clause "one that has made me laugh is this one," the two indefinite pronouns are in an _anaphoric_ relationship with each other. In other words, the antecedent of "one" in "this one" is the "one" in "one that has made." We can see this if we flesh out both pronouns: _one picture that has made me laugh is this one picture_. Of course, in everyday language, we are inclined to put heavier, longer elements later in the sentence, and so we start off with a simple "this:" _this is one of the pictures that_...(which, granted, puts us right back on square one). I'm partial to singular agreement in these sorts of sentences, and so, to me, kalamazoo's example is also singular: _Joe is one of the few people who has made me laugh_ (but that doesn't make "have" wrong).
Cheers
(By the way, we can also have relative pronouns with no antecedent, as in _the police knows who stole the car_, where "who" has no explicit referent.)


----------



## gridz

Good to see I started this scintillating debate, keep them coming! I'm really enjoying this!


----------

