Is ‘One of my friends is.’ Grammatically Correct in English?

The formulation of the English language can sometimes be perplexing, especially when dealing with complex sentence structures. We will explore the correct usage of the phrase 'one of my friends is' in this article and address common misconceptions.

Understanding Grammatical Consistency

When constructing sentences in English, it is essential to ensure subject-verb agreement. In the phrase 'One of my friends is here,' the subject 'one' is a singular noun, which requires the singular form of the verb 'is,' not the plural 'are.' This rule can be broken down as follows:

The phrase 'one of' always takes a plural noun following it, i.e., 'One of my friends.'The verb 'is' should agree with the implied singular reference 'one' rather than the plural noun 'friends.'

For example, consider the simplified sentence 'One friend is here.' This sounds more natural and is grammatically correct since both the subject and the verb remain in the singular form.

Breaking Down the Sentence

It is helpful to simplify the phrase to make the grammar clearer. Let's take the example 'One of my friends is having a birthday this weekend.' The critical part to focus on is 'One is having a birthday,' rather than 'One of my friends is having a birthday.'

Thus, the full sentence 'One of my friends is having a birthday this weekend' is grammatically correct. The subject 'one' is singular, and the verb 'is having' agrees with that singular subject.

Common Misconceptions

A common confusion arises when the prepositional phrase 'of my friends' is retained in the sentence. It is important to remember that this prepositional phrase does not function as the subject of the sentence. The sentence is still considered grammatically correct even when the prepositional phrase is omitted, as shown below:

Correct: One is a One of my friends are a lefty.

By removing the prepositional phrase, it is easier to see the singular nature of the subject and the proper use of the singular verb.

Summary of Key Points

The phrase 'one of my friends is' is grammatically correct because 'one' is singular, and 'is' is also singular, agreeing with the the full sentence 'One of my friends is having a birthday this weekend' is correct, as 'one' and 'is' agree in number.While 'One of my friends are having a birthday this weekend' is incorrect because the verb 'are' does not agree with the singular subject 'one.'

In conclusion, the correct usage of the phrase 'one of my friends is' is essential for maintaining grammatical consistency and clarity in your writing and speaking. Understanding the roles of the subject and the verb in sentence structures like this can help avoid common grammatical errors.