Grammar
Singular and plural predicate
Choosing the correct form of the number of the predicate is a difficult task if the subject contains words indicating the number or collection of objects. Among these words:
- collective nouns ( eg majority),
- Cardinal numbers ( five, twenty),
- collective numbers ( two, three, five),
- countable nouns (thousand, million, billion),
- words indicating the approximate amount ( more than a dozen, less than fifty, several),
- countable pronominal adverbs ( a lot, as much as),
- nouns with a specific meaning ( three, pair, hundred) and indefinite (mass, a lot) quantities, nouns with first part half- (half a year, half a house),
- type combinations brother and sister.
Each of these groups has its own characteristics of agreement with the predicate.
Coordination of the predicate with the words “row, majority, minority, part, many”
Choosing the correct form of the predicate is complicated by the fact that the reference word of the subject ( number, majority, multitude etc.), being a singular noun, actually means a set of objects or phenomena as a collection. In this regard, two possibilities arise for coordinating the predicate:
- formal grammatical agreement: the predicate takes the same grammatical form as the subject; the majority of citizens voted for the new president(“majority” and “voted” – singular, neuter); a number of users refused the paid service(“row” and “refused” are singular, masculine);
- agreement in meaning: the predicate takes a plural form, since the subject denotes many objects or phenomena: the majority of citizens voted for the new president, a number of users abandoned the paid service.
In modern Russian, formal grammatical agreement of the predicate and agreement in meaning compete, and in most cases (but not always!) the singular and plural forms of the predicate are interchangeable.
Formal approval gender and number of the predicate required, if the collective noun does not have dependent words, and also if the subject does not contain plural nouns: For the adoption of the resolution the majority voted, the minority was against; Overwhelming the majority of parliament voted against the adoption of the law; Part of the population is illiterate.
Agreement on meaning preferably:
1) if other members of the sentence are located between the subject and the predicate: M many comments on the content of the dissertation and the design of the bibliographywere expressed young graduate student;
2) if the subject has a subsequent definition in plural form, expressed by a participial phrase or subordinate clause with the word which: Part of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the maintenance of hospitals; Part of the proceeds from the sale of books will go to the maintenance of hospitals;
3) if you need to emphasize the separateness of the actions of each actor, called the subject, and also emphasize the activity of the actors: A number of employees of our organization took the initiative; compare: Many roads were built last year.
4) if there are several predicates: A number of students do not consider homework necessary and come to class unprepared.
5) if the predicate contains a noun or adjective in the plural form : Most houses in this villagewere wooden.
Coordination of the predicate with the numerals
The numeral name, unlike other names (nouns and adjectives), is devoid of number characteristics. In other words, if nouns can have singular and plural forms ( book - books), then numerals do not have such forms (cf.: two, five, one hundred fifty). For this reason, with a numeral, the actual “coordination” of the predicate in the form of the number is fundamentally impossible. The form of the predicate singular or plural is chosen arbitrarily by the speaker. When setting the predicate in singular. Part of the past tense, the predicate takes the neuter form: fifty people came to the lecture, two people died in a traffic accident; ten new stores opened and so on.
Although the form of the predicate is not strictly regulated, there are a number of factors that contribute to the use of the singular or plural form.
The placement of the predicate in the singular form is influenced by the desire of the text author to draw the readers’ attention to the passivity of the subject, the compatibility of the actions of the characters, as well as the quantity named in the subject. The passivity of the subject can be emphasized by using verbs with the meaning of being or presence as predicates: to exist, to exist and etc.
Twenty trees fell as a result of the hurricane. Fifty people came to the lecture, not fifty-two. The noun has twelve case forms.
The factors contributing to the use of the plural form of the predicate are opposite: the meaning of separate action, the emphasis on the activity of the persons named in the subject, the author’s desire to pay attention to the action (characteristic), and not to the quantity.
Eight students have already defended their theses. One hundred graduate students write dissertations(i.e. everyone writes their own work).
In addition, you should remember that:
· Numerals, ending with one, usually require a singular form of the predicate: In the Institutefifty-one applicants were admitted. But: Fifty-one participants discussed problem at the round table(verb discuss means a joint action and cannot be used in unit form. h.).
Myth. Many people believe that “the majority... decidedI” is written when talking about people, and “the majority... decidedO” - in all other cases. Actually this is not true.
There are simply two types of agreement: one is semantic (“most” means many, and therefore you need to say “decided”), and the other is grammatical (“most” is a neuter noun, and therefore you need to choose a verb in the form singular).
1. If there are no other words in the construction with the word “most”, then everything is simple. “The State Duma adopted a law banning the promotion of homosexuality. The majority decided O...”- there are no explanatory words between the words “majority” and “decided”, so we choose the singular number: decidedO.
2. If there are explanatory words, then both options are possible: and “the majority of deputies decided I”, and “the majority of deputies decided O”. It all depends on whether you want to emphasize the active role of everyone (decided) or, on the contrary, a single impulse (decided). The same applies to the word “many”: “In the yard, many people were having lunch, sitting without hats near the brotherly cauldron”. (Pushkin.)
3. But there are several cases when it is better to choose the plural. Hints help you make your choice.
First hint. The subject and predicate are separated from each other.
Example: “Most Facebook users who spend more than three hours a day on social networks like to post cats.”(the verb “to love” is plural because there are several words between it and the word “most” - even a whole subordinate clause).
Hint two . The sentence contains a subordinate construction, as in the previous example, or a participial phrase.
Examples: “Most of the protesters, among whom were schoolchildren, students and pensioners, ended up in paddy wagons”. Or: “The majority of Russians who wrote a total dictation made a mistake in the word “vinaigrette”.
Hint three. The sentence contains several homogeneous predicates or the subject has several controlled words.
Examples : “Most dictators were unloving, mistreated their neighbors, and came to a bad end.”(the plural was chosen because there are several homogeneous predicates).
“Most of the world’s show business stars, public figures, and politicians advocated for the release of Pussy Riot members.”(several controlled words at once, enumeration, therefore plural).
But the main thing to remember is that the choice is ultimately yours. It all depends on your linguistic sense, context and meaning that you want to put into the statement.
The norm of the Russian language is grammatical coordination defined word with the main word in the phrase ( great luck, great success) and predicate with subject ( Mother said; Father said). But in some cases, choosing a dependent form causes difficulties and requires taking into account a number of conditions.
1. In colloquial speech, semantic (rather than grammatical) agreement is often used with masculine nouns that characterize female persons.
The doctor came; The professor said; The school director resigned.
However, in official speech, replacing grammatical agreement with semantic agreement is not allowed, except in cases where such a noun has a proper name, for example: doctor Petrova. In such constructions, the attribute and predicate agree with the nearest noun.
For example: Experienced doctor Petrova is attentive to patients. The participle definition always agrees with the proper name: Doctor Petrova entered the room.
2. Coordination of definitions with nouns depending on the numerals two, three, four is subject to the following rules.
For masculine and neuter nouns, definitions are used in the genitive plural form (the noun in this case is in the genitive case form) - two large tables, two large windows.
For feminine nouns, the definition is put in the nominative plural form (the noun in this case is also in the nominative plural form) - two large vases.
If a feminine noun is in the genitive singular form, then the definition can be put in the genitive case, but plural ( two high mountains).
A definition before a numeral or a separate definition is placed in the nominative case, regardless of the gender of the noun:
two large tables; two oil paintings, hung on the wall; Two letters written by brother, alarmed me.
Exception make up adjectives whole, complete, good, which usually appear in the genitive case and before the numeral ( two whole weeks, three whole months), although in living speech the use of the nominative case form is very common.
3. Agreement of the predicate with the subject, an expressed noun with a collective quantitative meaning ( majority, part, number etc.) is determined by the following factors.
If the noun does not have controlled words with it or the controlled word is in the singular, then the predicate is used in the singular:
The majority supported the speaker; The majority of the team supported the coach.
If the controlled word is in the plural, then the predicate, as a rule, agrees with the collective noun and is placed in the singular:
The majority of employees supported the director.
note to the fact that the predicate also agrees in gender with the noun in the nominative case!
Wed: The majority of deputies supported the decision; Some deputies supported the decision; A number of deputies supported the decision.
The plural predicate is usually used in the following cases:
A) between the subject and the predicate there are other members of the sentence, especially a participial phrase with a plural participle, a subordinate clause with the conjunctive word which is in the plural. (Although this rule is not mandatory, it is still advisable to use the plural form of the predicate in such constructions.)
Most people, who watched the film, highly appreciated the director’s work; Most people, who watched the film, highly appreciated the director’s work;
b) With a noun there are several controlled forms in the plural:
Majority workers, engineers and employees the plant was supported by the directors;
V) with the subject there are homogeneous predicates:
Most students passed the tests and were well prepared for the exams;
G) the sentence uses a compound nominal predicate, and the nominal part is expressed by adjectives and participles:
Most of the children were smart and cheerful; Most of the houses on this street are wooden.
In speech, it is very common to use a predicate in the singular form with a subject indicating inanimate objects (see the last example), but such use in a literary language is undesirable.
Similar rules apply for subject - quantitative-nominal combinations with words a lot, a little, a little, a lot, how many, so many, several. The main norm is to use the singular predicate. To put a predicate into the plural, additional factors must be in effect. For example, the most common form is the plural form of the predicate with a subject indicating animate objects, primarily people.
4. The same system of factors determines the agreement of the predicate with the subject, expressed by a quantitative-nominal combination ( two brothers, thirty-two chairs etc.), that is, a combination of a numeral with the genitive case of a noun. The main norm is the statement of the predicate in the singular:
Five matches won; Five fighters went on reconnaissance.
Exception make up sentences with a subject including the numerals two, three, four. As a rule, with such a subject the predicate is in the plural form:
Three houses are calling for the evening(Pushkin).
note
For a compound numeral ending in one, the predicate is in the singular, and since this numeral changes by gender, the gender of the predicate can also be different:
Twenty-one representatives from thirty European countries attended the conference; Twenty-one delegations attended the meeting.
There is also agreement by gender with the numeral thousand, million, billion.
A thousand people showed up.
In other cases, the singular predicate usually takes the neuter form.
Five minutes passed.
In addition to the factors that were indicated above, the agreement of the predicate with the subject - quantitative-nominal combination - is also influenced by some specific conditions.
The tendency to use the singular is revealed when the number of objects named in the subject appears as a whole. This most often manifests itself in cases where the predicate verb has the meaning of being, presence, existence, position in space, passage in time. In such contexts, there are actually no separate objects, and the numeral represents only a dimension of one temporal or spatial whole:
The room had two windows; Six chairs stood against the wall; Five years have passed since then.
When choosing the form of a predicate, word order plays a big role. Thus, with reverse word order (the predicate precedes the subject), the singular form is also more often used.
Wed: Three hours passed unnoticed; Three hours passed.
The singular predicate predominates when there are words in the sentence just, only, only:
Only two days have passed.
The plural form is mandatory when the actors perform more than one common action, but act separately:
Five people from different directions rushed towards the criminal; The two cars went in different directions; Three little dogs scattered.
The plural form is usually used in cases where the independent action of each member of the set is emphasized. This can be observed especially often with the subject naming the number of people or other animate subjects:
Two girls in white dresses, with identical roses in their black hair, sat down in the same way(L. Tolstoy).
However, the plural form can also be used with a subject that names the number of inanimate objects:
For example: Three young trees grow in front of the cave door - linden, birch and maple(M. Gorky). In this sentence, the independent perception of each individual tree is emphasized by the fact that each of them belongs to a different species.
note that with a subject naming a large number of inanimate objects, the singular form is more common, since a large group is perceived as a single whole:
Two hundred people donated blood for the victims of the accident.
The factors that determine the choice of the plural form of the predicate also include the following:
A) the presence of a separate definition in the plural:
The three hours we spent in his company gave us great pleasure;
b) the presence of a subordinate clause with a conjunctive word at the subject which in plural:
Five former officers, who could be recognized by their clear movements and bearing, immediately took command;
V) presence of subject definitions all these:
All ten books were on the director's desk; These five weeks flew by almost unnoticed.
Special mention should be made cases when collective numerals occur in the subject ( two, three etc.). With them, the plural form is especially often used:
She was assisted by three footmen, uncombed from the cradle.
5. The coordination of the predicate in sentences with homogeneous subjects has its own specifics.
The choice of the form of the predicate largely depends on the order of the subject group and the predicate group.
At in direct order words (subjects come before the predicate), the plural form of the predicate is usually used:
Screaming and sobbing were heard from the next room.
At reverse order words, the singular form is more often used, and the predicate agrees with the nearest homogeneous member:
Screaming and sobbing were heard from the next room.
At the same time, the plural form of the predicate can also occur in reverse word order.
Wed: Screams and sobs were heard from the next room.
This phenomenon is most often observed when one of the subjects is in the plural form.
Jealousy and tears put her to bed(Chekhov).
In addition, the plural form is preferable if a large number of characters are emphasized (usually these are animate subjects):
Vitya, Pavlik, Kirill and Arseny Romanovich, who was running around them, were shouting.
note to the fact that the plural form in reverse word order is normative in official business and scientific styles, where the semantic accuracy of the statement comes to the fore ( The meeting was attended by...; elected to the Presidium...).
The choice of the form of the predicate also depends on the type of conjunctions connecting homogeneous members.
At connecting unions ( and, yes, neither... nor), as well as in case of non-union connection of homogeneous subjects, the above factors usually apply.
At dividing unions ( or, either, not that... not that, that... then) the predicate agrees with the nearest subject:
Outside the window it was either snowing or light rain; Experienced fear or instant fright seems strange after just a minute.
Exception make up sentences in which homogeneous subjects are represented by nouns of different kinds, and the predicate is in the past tense. In this case, the plural form of the predicate is used.
Wed: A brother or sister is coming - A brother or sister was supposed to come.
At adversative unions ( but, but, however, but) when word order is reversed, the predicate usually agrees with the nearest subject:
With direct word order, the predicate agrees with the subject, which is the real performer of the action:
Not you, but fate is to blame; A novel, not a story will be published in the next issue of the magazine.
If there is a comparative conjunction between homogeneous subjects both... and the predicate is put in the plural:
Both mother and daughter play the piano beautifully.
For other comparative conjunctions ( not only but; not so much..., but; if not... then etc.) the predicate usually agrees with the nearest homogeneous subject.
Not only your mother, but also your father condemned your action; It was not so much your mother as your father who condemned your action; If not your mother, then your father will condemn your action.
If there are personal pronouns among homogeneous subjects, then when agreeing on a person, the first person is given preference over the second and third, and the second person over the third.
Wed: You and I can do it; You and he can do it.
Class="clearfix">
Several people collected ABOUT collected (or collected AND sya?) meet...
In russian language subject can be expressed quantitative combination, that is, a combination of a noun
a) with a cardinal number ( three girlfriends, two friends);
b) with a collective noun ( most students, many paintings);
c) with a noun row, part (a number of questions, some of the listeners);
d) with words a lot, a little, a little, a lot, a few (a few people, a lot of people).
The question arises: in singular or plural in these cases it is necessary use a predicate? It turns out that you can do both: both forms predicates are correct in modern Russian. At the same time, there are options their use depending on the speech situation.
1. The predicate is used in the plural if
We want to emphasize the speed and activity of the action. The subject denotes people or animals. ( Several people quit And come to the rescue. Three hounds carried And cross it.);
The subject is expressed in a quantitative combination with words row, part, but from the context it is clear that characters a lot of . (Some 11th grade students, namely Petrov, Ivanov, Sidorov, etc., are not ready s for the exam. Compare : Some students are not ready A for the exam. It does not follow from the context that there are many such students .).
2. The predicate is used in the singular if
The sentence talks about inanimate objects. Typically, such sentences belong to the scientific and official business styles of speech. ( The message was O given O many (many, few, not a few) interesting facts and numbers.);
The subject is a combination of the type a number of scientists, some students, then the predicate agrees with the words row, part. (A number of scientists have stated l about his disagreement with the position of the Academy. Some of the students decided A do not take the Unified State Exam in biology.);
The subject is expressed by a collective noun like youth, students, people, teaching etc. It is permissible here only word form agreement. (Students responded O answer the call to help orphanages.).
3. The predicate is used in both singular and plural if
The subject is expressed by a collective noun majority, minority. Compare: Most agreed And (coordination in meaning). Most agreed O meet the requirements of the administration(agreement on the form of the word).
Thus, since our example in the title does not fit any of the listed cases, we can say Several people collected And let's meet, And Several people collected O let's meet.
The norm of the Russian language is grammatical coordination defined word with the main word in the phrase ( great luck, great success) and predicate with subject ( Mother said; Father said). But in some cases, choosing a dependent form causes difficulties and requires taking into account a number of conditions.
1. In colloquial speech, semantic (rather than grammatical) agreement is often used with masculine nouns that characterize female persons.
The doctor came; The professor said; The school director resigned.
However, in official speech, replacing grammatical agreement with semantic agreement is not allowed, except in cases where such a noun has a proper name, for example: doctor Petrova. In such constructions, the attribute and predicate agree with the nearest noun.
For example: Experienced doctor Petrova is attentive to patients. The participle definition always agrees with the proper name: Doctor Petrova entered the room.
2. Coordination of definitions with nouns depending on the numerals two, three, four is subject to the following rules.
For masculine and neuter nouns, definitions are used in the genitive plural form (the noun in this case is in the genitive case form) - two large tables, two large windows.
For feminine nouns, the definition is put in the nominative plural form (the noun in this case is also in the nominative plural form) - two large vases.
If a feminine noun is in the genitive singular form, then the definition can be put in the genitive case, but plural ( two high mountains).
A definition before a numeral or a separate definition is placed in the nominative case, regardless of the gender of the noun:
two large tables; two oil paintings, hung on the wall; Two letters written by brother, alarmed me.
Exception make up adjectives whole, complete, good, which usually appear in the genitive case and before the numeral ( two whole weeks, three whole months), although in living speech the use of the nominative case form is very common.
3. Agreement of the predicate with the subject, an expressed noun with a collective quantitative meaning ( majority, part, number etc.) is determined by the following factors.
If the noun does not have controlled words with it or the controlled word is in the singular, then the predicate is used in the singular:
The majority supported the speaker; The majority of the team supported the coach.
If the controlled word is in the plural, then the predicate, as a rule, agrees with the collective noun and is placed in the singular:
The majority of employees supported the director.
note to the fact that the predicate also agrees in gender with the noun in the nominative case!
Wed: The majority of deputies supported the decision; Some deputies supported the decision; A number of deputies supported the decision.
The plural predicate is usually used in the following cases:
A) between the subject and the predicate there are other members of the sentence, especially a participial phrase with a plural participle, a subordinate clause with the conjunctive word which is in the plural. (Although this rule is not mandatory, it is still advisable to use the plural form of the predicate in such constructions.)
Most people, who watched the film, highly appreciated the director’s work; Most people, who watched the film, highly appreciated the director’s work;
b) With a noun there are several controlled forms in the plural:
Majority workers, engineers and employees the plant was supported by the directors;
V) with the subject there are homogeneous predicates:
Most students passed the tests and were well prepared for the exams;
G) the sentence uses a compound nominal predicate, and the nominal part is expressed by adjectives and participles:
Most of the children were smart and cheerful; Most of the houses on this street are wooden.
In speech, it is very common to use a predicate in the singular form with a subject indicating inanimate objects (see the last example), but such use in a literary language is undesirable.
Similar rules apply for subject - quantitative-nominal combinations with words a lot, a little, a little, a lot, how many, so many, several. The main norm is to use the singular predicate. To put a predicate into the plural, additional factors must be in effect. For example, the most common form is the plural form of the predicate with a subject indicating animate objects, primarily people.
4. The same system of factors determines the agreement of the predicate with the subject, expressed by a quantitative-nominal combination ( two brothers, thirty-two chairs etc.), that is, a combination of a numeral with the genitive case of a noun. The main norm is the statement of the predicate in the singular:
Five matches won; Five fighters went on reconnaissance.
Exception make up sentences with a subject including the numerals two, three, four. As a rule, with such a subject the predicate is in the plural form:
Three houses are calling for the evening(Pushkin).
note
For a compound numeral ending in one, the predicate is in the singular, and since this numeral changes by gender, the gender of the predicate can also be different:
Twenty-one representatives from thirty European countries attended the conference; Twenty-one delegations attended the meeting.
There is also agreement by gender with the numeral thousand, million, billion.
A thousand people showed up.
In other cases, the singular predicate usually takes the neuter form.
Five minutes passed.
In addition to the factors that were indicated above, the agreement of the predicate with the subject - quantitative-nominal combination - is also influenced by some specific conditions.
The tendency to use the singular is revealed when the number of objects named in the subject appears as a whole. This most often manifests itself in cases where the predicate verb has the meaning of being, presence, existence, position in space, passage in time. In such contexts, there are actually no separate objects, and the numeral represents only a dimension of one temporal or spatial whole:
The room had two windows; Six chairs stood against the wall; Five years have passed since then.
When choosing the form of a predicate, word order plays a big role. Thus, with reverse word order (the predicate precedes the subject), the singular form is also more often used.
Wed: Three hours passed unnoticed; Three hours passed.
The singular predicate predominates when there are words in the sentence just, only, only:
Only two days have passed.
The plural form is mandatory when the actors perform more than one common action, but act separately:
Five people from different directions rushed towards the criminal; The two cars went in different directions; Three little dogs scattered.
The plural form is usually used in cases where the independent action of each member of the set is emphasized. This can be observed especially often with the subject naming the number of people or other animate subjects:
Two girls in white dresses, with identical roses in their black hair, sat down in the same way(L. Tolstoy).
However, the plural form can also be used with a subject that names the number of inanimate objects:
For example: Three young trees grow in front of the cave door - linden, birch and maple(M. Gorky). In this sentence, the independent perception of each individual tree is emphasized by the fact that each of them belongs to a different species.
note that with a subject naming a large number of inanimate objects, the singular form is more common, since a large group is perceived as a single whole:
Two hundred people donated blood for the victims of the accident.
The factors that determine the choice of the plural form of the predicate also include the following:
A) the presence of a separate definition in the plural:
The three hours we spent in his company gave us great pleasure;
b) the presence of a subordinate clause with a conjunctive word at the subject which in plural:
Five former officers, who could be recognized by their clear movements and bearing, immediately took command;
V) presence of subject definitions all these:
All ten books were on the director's desk; These five weeks flew by almost unnoticed.
Special mention should be made cases when collective numerals occur in the subject ( two, three etc.). With them, the plural form is especially often used:
She was assisted by three footmen, uncombed from the cradle.
5. The coordination of the predicate in sentences with homogeneous subjects has its own specifics.
The choice of the form of the predicate largely depends on the order of the subject group and the predicate group.
At in direct order words (subjects come before the predicate), the plural form of the predicate is usually used:
Screaming and sobbing were heard from the next room.
At reverse order words, the singular form is more often used, and the predicate agrees with the nearest homogeneous member:
Screaming and sobbing were heard from the next room.
At the same time, the plural form of the predicate can also occur in reverse word order.
Wed: Screams and sobs were heard from the next room.
This phenomenon is most often observed when one of the subjects is in the plural form.
Jealousy and tears put her to bed(Chekhov).
In addition, the plural form is preferable if a large number of characters are emphasized (usually these are animate subjects):
Vitya, Pavlik, Kirill and Arseny Romanovich, who was running around them, were shouting.
note to the fact that the plural form in reverse word order is normative in official business and scientific styles, where the semantic accuracy of the statement comes to the fore ( The meeting was attended by...; elected to the Presidium...).
The choice of the form of the predicate also depends on the type of conjunctions connecting homogeneous members.
At connecting unions ( and, yes, neither... nor), as well as in case of non-union connection of homogeneous subjects, the above factors usually apply.
At dividing unions ( or, either, not that... not that, that... then) the predicate agrees with the nearest subject:
Outside the window it was either snowing or light rain; Experienced fear or instant fright seems strange after just a minute.
Exception make up sentences in which homogeneous subjects are represented by nouns of different kinds, and the predicate is in the past tense. In this case, the plural form of the predicate is used.
Wed: A brother or sister is coming - A brother or sister was supposed to come.
At adversative unions ( but, but, however, but) when word order is reversed, the predicate usually agrees with the nearest subject:
With direct word order, the predicate agrees with the subject, which is the real performer of the action:
Not you, but fate is to blame; A novel, not a story will be published in the next issue of the magazine.
If there is a comparative conjunction between homogeneous subjects both... and the predicate is put in the plural:
Both mother and daughter play the piano beautifully.
For other comparative conjunctions ( not only but; not so much..., but; if not... then etc.) the predicate usually agrees with the nearest homogeneous subject.
Not only your mother, but also your father condemned your action; It was not so much your mother as your father who condemned your action; If not your mother, then your father will condemn your action.
If there are personal pronouns among homogeneous subjects, then when agreeing on a person, the first person is given preference over the second and third, and the second person over the third.
Wed: You and I can do it; You and he can do it.