Understanding Correct Verb Forms in Sentences with 'Who' and 'Eats'

When using the pronoun who in a sentence, the verb that follows it must agree with the subject. This is often a source of confusion for many, leading to the question: should we use who eats or eat? In this article, we'll explore the rules and provide clarity on this grammatical issue.

A Brief Overview of Grammar Rules

In English, pronouns must agree with their antecedents in both number and person. This means that if the subject is singular, the pronoun (and the verb) must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the pronoun (and the verb) must be plural as well. A pronoun and its antecedent are said to agree if they are consistent in number, person, and gender.

Examples and Rules

Here are some examples to illustrate how who works with different subjects:

Singular Subject: Do you know the man who eats here every day? Here, the subject is man, which is singular, so the verb eats is also singular. Plural Subject: Do you know the men who eat here every day? Here, the subject is men, which is plural, so the verb eat is also plural.

Remember, the verb must agree with the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

Example Sentences

Consider the following sentences:

All those who eat pizza form a line here. He was a man who eats lots of vegetables. Of the 24 people who are arriving today… The person who is arriving today…

Each of these sentences provides clarity on the subject-verb agreement. The verbs eat and eats are used according to the number of the subject.

Complex Sentences and Uncertainty

Complex sentences or those missing context can sometimes make it difficult to determine the correct verb form. For instance, consider the following incomplete sentences:

The children who eat at school… The boy who eats at school.

The correct verb form depends on whether the subject (children or boy) is singular or plural. In the first sentence, since children is plural, the verb should be eat. In the second sentence, since boy is singular, the verb should be eats.

Conclusion

To summarize, the correct form of the verb between who eats or eat depends on the grammatical number of the subject. If the subject is singular, use eats; if it is plural, use eat. It is essential to consider the entire sentence and the subject that who refers to in order to determine the correct form.