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Elizabeth S. Sklar. The Tribunal of Use: Agreement in Indefinite Constructions.

Sklar, Elizabeth S. "The Tribunal of Use: Agreement in Indefinite Constructions." CCC 39.4 (1988): 410-422.

Abstract:

This article argues for the reversal of the grammatical rule that mandates singular agreement with indefinite pronouns by looking at the historical construction of the rule, its treatment in a variety of modern handbooks, and its current practical use. The author's objective is to ease teachers' instructional burden by adjusting practice to linguistic reality and to suggest the possibility of similarly challenging other rules of traditional grammar whose official sanction may be pragmatically or linguistically unwarranted.
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