Dictionary of English - one or you

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The singular phrase one of is usually followed by a plural noun or pronoun. This can sow a seed of doubt in people's minds about the verb that comes afterward – should it be singular or plural? The answer depends on whether the verb goes with one or with the plural noun or pronoun: One of my old school friends is coming to stay next week. In this sentence, it is only one of the school friends that is coming to stay. One is the subject of the verb, so the verb is singular – is.

It's one of those books that keep you gripped until the very end. In this sentence, it is all the books that keep you gripped, not just this one. Those books is the subject of the verb, so the verb is plural – keep.

The noun or pronoun following one of is usually plural (if it is not plural, then it is a collective singular, like group or gang). But putting in an extra phrase can disrupt the link between one of and its noun or pronoun, as in this sentence: 'In England the main object seems to be what is after all one of the most, if not the most, important gastronomic principle..'. The singular principle is incorrect, and sounds very odd, but it would have sounded equally odd to use the plural principles. The best solution in such cases is to rewrite the sentence: one of the most important gastronomic principles, if not the most important.

Red recalls the banner of Manas who united the Kyrgyz tribes. The emblem shows a bird's-eye view of a yurt, secured by a lattice of ropes. Effective date: 3 March 1992. >>