[Grammar] Subject-Verb Agreement

[yamadew]

Hello.

Today I would like to ask about the use of pass with regard to so-called "Subject-Verb Agreement."
If you look up the word "pass" in a dictionary, you will come across such sentence as (1) given below.

(1) Six years have passed since my father died.

The reason why have, instead of has, is used is that "six years" is a plural noun phrase, of course. However, if you think of "six years" as a unit, in my opinion, you can also say "Six years has passed..."

I want to know whether there is anything in my way of thinking.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Raymott]

Hello.

Today I would like to ask about the use of pass with regard to [STRIKE]so-called [/STRIKE] "Subject-Verb Agreement."
If you look up the word "pass" in a dictionary, you will come across such sentence as (1) given below.

(1) Six years have passed since my father died.

The reason why have, instead of has, is used is that "six years" is a plural noun phrase, of course. However, if you think of "six years" as a unit, in my opinion, you can also say "Six years has passed..."

I want to know whether there is anything in my way of thinking.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, that's right. Your thinking is correct.

 

[yamadew]

Yes, that's right. Your thinking is correct.

Thank you very much.
By the way, I wonder why "so-called" is deleted...
I'd apreciate if I you give me some advice.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you very much.
By the way, I wonder why "so-called" is deleted...
I'd apreciate if I you give me some advice.

"So-called" suggests that something is badly named or that it's not its official title.

Rafael Nadal is the so-called "King of the Clay Court".

The Subject-Verb Agreement rule is an actual rule. That's what it's called, not "so-called".

 

[Raymott]

To add to the above, it tends to indicate that you don't agree with the term; you personally have something against it.
You're saying, "That's what they call it, but I disagree."

 

[yamadew]

Thank you very much for both the answers.

 

[Rover_KE]

I consider 'Six years has passed. . .' to be incorrect.

Rover

 

[emsr2d2]

I consider 'Six years has passed. . .' to be incorrect.

Rover

So do I.

"A period of six years has passed..." = fine.
"Six years have passed..." = fine

 

[Barb_D]

I find it okay dependingn on whether you think of it as one big chunk of time or six individual years.

How do you feel about "Six years is a long time to wait"?

 

[Raymott]

So do I.

"A period of six years has passed..." = fine.
"Six years have passed..." = fine

Yes, but "a period of" is understood. Not everything needs to be spelt out.
Sometimes "six years" means six seperate years, and sometimes it means a time period.

How do you feel about "Six pints are a lot of milk to drink at once"? (I think it sounds silly. It obviously means "a quantity of six pints".)
"Six miles are a long way to walk." How about this?

 

[Tdol]

How do you feel about "Six pints are a lot of milk to drink at once"? (I think it sounds silly. It obviously means "a quantity of six pints".)
"Six miles are a long way to walk." How about this?

I'd use the singular in both.

 

[Rover_KE]

How do you feel about "Six pints are a lot of milk to drink at once"? (I think it sounds silly. It obviously means "a quantity of six pints".)
"Six miles are a long way to walk." How about this?

I would use the singular in both cases as the unit is stipulated.

There is no unit mentioned in 'Six years have passed . . . .'

Rover

 

[Raymott]

I would use the singular in both cases as the unit is stipulated.

There is no unit mentioned in 'Six years have passed . . . .'

Rover

Huh? The unit is years. It's a unit of time, just as 'pint' is a unit of volume and 'mile' is a unit of distance.
A year is 365 days. Here are some more units of time: second, minute, decade, hour ...