Grammar question

MariaL · Nov 26, 2011

When an album of photos remind him of better times, he picks up the phone.

When a photo remind him of better times, he picks up the phone.

I can't decide between remind or reminds in these sentences. Advice gratefully received.

Devil Ledbetter · Nov 26, 2011

MariaL said:
When an album of photos remind him of better times, he picks up the phone.

When a photo remind him of better times, he picks up the phone.

I can't decide between remind or reminds in these sentences. Advice gratefully received.

Look at the subject of each sentence. An album reminds. A photo reminds.

This will get teleported to the grammar forum, I imagine.

Becca_H · Nov 26, 2011

I think it's reminds in both instances.

I could be wrong though.

Calla Lily · Nov 26, 2011

Yes, both are singular (album, photo) so they take "reminds."

In the first sentence, the subject is "album" not "photos"--sometimes that trips people up.

Bufty · Nov 26, 2011

Nope. You could not be wrong in either of those cases.

Becca_H said:
I think it's reminds in both instances.

I could be wrong though.

SRHowen · Nov 26, 2011

reminds in both.

When stumped on something like this try reading it out loud.

VoireyLinger · Nov 27, 2011

Like they said, it's reminds.

The subjects of both sentences (photo, album) are ... singular so the corresponding verb needs to be singular as well.

brianjanuary · Nov 27, 2011

"Album" is singular and is the subject of the phrase, so the verb has to agree--hence "reminds".

However, the overall sentence structure is flawed because as you have written it, the subject of the sentence is "album", not "he".

You need to do something like: "As he paged through the album, he reflected back on the good times they used to have. On an impulse he picked up the phone and dialed Mary's number."

Then all is clear for the reader.

Brian January
http://amzn.com/B005WM0HN6
http://amzn.com/B006QCZF3S

Grammar question

MariaL

Devil Ledbetter

Come on you stranger, you legend,

Becca_H

Where am I again?

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

SRHowen

Erotica is not a four letter word!

VoireyLinger

Angel Wing Fetish

brianjanuary