The question revolves around the usage of the word ‘people’ in a sentence and the verb ‘live’ being in its base form. Let’s explore this situation and understand why the verb doesn’t change, even when ‘people’ seems to be plural.
Why is ‘People’ Plural, but the Verb ‘Live’ Remains in its Base Form?
The word ‘people’ is indeed a plural noun, referring to more than one individual. However, in the sentence ‘She wants to help some people who live around here,’ the verb ‘live’ is used in its base form because of the relative clause that follows ‘people.’ The subject of the relative clause (‘who’) refers to ‘people,’ which is plural, but the verb ‘live’ does not need to be modified in this context.
Understanding Relative Clauses and Verb Conjugation
In English, when we use a relative clause, the verb is conjugated according to the subject of the clause. In this case, ‘people’ is the subject of the clause ‘who live around here,’ so the verb ‘live’ must agree with it. Since ‘people’ is plural, the verb does not take an ‘s’ at the end. This is a standard rule in English grammar when using relative clauses.
How ‘People’ Affects the Verb: Singular vs. Plural
It’s important to note that ‘people’ is often treated as a plural noun, meaning the verb that follows should generally be in the plural form. In this case, ‘live’ is the correct form, and it’s not influenced by the verb tense in the main clause (‘wants’). The sentence is grammatically correct because the verb agrees with the plural subject ‘people.’
Why It’s Not ‘Lives’ in the Sentence
If the sentence had a singular subject, such as ‘person,’ then the verb would change to ‘lives’ (e.g., ‘She wants to help a person who lives around here’). However, since ‘people’ is plural, the verb remains in the base form ‘live.’ This is a straightforward application of subject-verb agreement in English grammar.
Conclusion: A Simple Grammar Rule for Subject-Verb Agreement
In conclusion, the use of ‘live’ in the sentence is correct because it follows the rules of subject-verb agreement in relative clauses. When ‘people’ is the subject of the relative clause, the verb must agree in number with it, and in this case, the plural form ‘live’ is used. Understanding these small grammar rules can help clear up confusion and lead to more accurate usage in English.
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