Need help to settle a "discussion"

[FidoNI]

Hi Everyone, Ive just stumbled upon this website whilst trying to find a site that would be able to solve a small discussion.
My friend and I were having a discussion on facebook, I mentioned

"I'm one of the few million that actually HAS been there".

He reckons it should've been "Have been there" as opposed to my use of "Has been"

Can anyone assist please?

Many Thanks
James

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi Everyone, Ive just stumbled upon this website whilst trying to find a site that would be able to solve a small discussion.
My friend and I were having a discussion on facebook, I mentioned

"I'm one of the few million that actually HAS been there".

He reckons it should've been "Have been there" as opposed to my use of "Has been"

Can anyone assist please?

Many Thanks
James

You'll hear both. It depends on whether you are stressing that you are "the one" or that there are "a few million".

I'm one [of the few million] who has been there. ("Has" agrees with "one".)
[I'm one of] the few million who have been there. ("Have" agrees with "the few million".)

I have sat for the last few minutes having an argument with myself (!) as to whether I would say:

I'm one of the people who has been there
OR
I'm one of the people who have been there.

Honestly, I can't tell you which one I would say in a natural conversation! Don't you love English?!

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) IMHO, your friend is absolutely right.

(2) I am ONE.

(3) One of WHOM?

(4) The few MILLION that / who HAVE actually been there.

*****

I am ONE.

One of WHOM?

The THOUSANDS that/who COME to usingenglish. com every day.

*****

I am ONE.

One of WHOM?

The MILLIONS that/who STUDY English in this world.

 

[sumon.]

I agree with TheParser.:-D

​

According to our verb pattern(Bangla), the second one(have been) is perfect.

 

[5jj]

I have been known to disagree with TheParser at times, and I normally agree with emsrd2. Not today. In my opinion, The Parser is right.

I am probably the only one* of the x thousand members of UsingEnglish.com who has read G O Curme's 'Syntax' from beginning to end. That works, but is very different. Compare:

I am one of several members of the forum who have read Quirk's 1985 'Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language'.

*Apart from TheParser, of course.

 

[5jj]

I agree with TheParser.:-D According to our verb pattern(Bangla), the second one(have been) is perfect.

I, too, think TheParser is right. However, The fact that Bangla verbs pattern in this way does not mean that English verbs must. Each language has to be judged by its own rules, not the rules of other languages.