[Grammar] One in four CVs + singular/plural verb?

[tom3m]

One in four CVs contain a lie of some kind.


Why there isn't 'contains' instead of 'contain'? The verb refers to the word 'one', doesn't it?

 

[emsr2d2]

One in four CVs contain a lie of some kind.


Why [STRIKE]there[/STRIKE] isn't it 'contains' instead of 'contain'? The verb refers to the word 'one', doesn't it?

You are right. It should read "One in four CVs contains a lie of some kind". It's a common error because the writer probably simply looked at the word "CVs" which immediately precedes the verb and followed it with a plural verb.

 

[tom3m]

Thank you, I wasn't really sure about it, because I found it in our textbook (Straightforward - Upper Intermediate).

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you, I wasn't really sure about it, because I found it in our textbook (Straightforward - Upper Intermediate).

That is not a good thing to find in a textbook. You could email/write to the publishers and point out the error. Perhaps when they reprint the book, they will (hopefully) correct the error.