Which is the correct verb after the relative pronoun
who in the sentence below?
(1) One of the students who (was, were) here is John.
Is it
was or
were?
The answer depends on whether the relative pronoun
who refers to
students or the head noun
One. Accordingly, we can rewrite (1) to illustrate this difference in interpretation:
(2) Of the students, one who
was here is John.
(3) Of the students who
were here, one is John.
Sentence (2) corresponds to the interpretation in which
who refers to the head noune
One, and so
was is the appropriate verb. Sentence (3) shows that
who refers to the plural
students, and so
were is the appropriate verb.
