Quote:
Originally Posted by MacEachaidh
Then what's the "1" for? I honestly don't get how "boys is the subject — wouldn't the subject be "1 boy"?
If you restructured the sentence, wouldn't it be "1 boy is abusd out of 6" ?
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"boys"
is the noun (like that one?). "1 of 6" is the noun's modifier. If you removed the modifier, it would simply be "...boys are abused..." and you'd know it should be "are," rather than "is." You're focused on the one (1), rather than the boys. That's all; your friend's assessment is correct, it's "are," not "is." I don't believe that this is a case of what's in the vernacular.
Hitch