Brwombat Posted 23 years ago
Grammar
Sweeney Todd
In the libretto of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, there is the following:
"And what if none of their souls were saved,
They went to their maker impeccably shaved".
My question is - is it correct to use "were" or should it be "none of their souls WAS saved"?
Any help gratefully received.
"And what if none of their souls were saved,
They went to their maker impeccably shaved".
My question is - is it correct to use "were" or should it be "none of their souls WAS saved"?
Any help gratefully received.
Top answer
Could someone possibly explain what these two sentences mean, please?
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You're right that the subject "none" calls for a singular verb, but the "if" makes the clause conditional, so "were" is correct. Similar examples: "If it were up to me..." and "If I were you..."
Sweeney Todd is a musical about a murderous barber.
Sweeney Todd is a musical about a murderous barber.
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How's this:
"If it were up to me, everyone would ride bicycles."
"If I were you, I'd skip the underwear."
"If it were up to me, everyone would ride bicycles."
"If I were you, I'd skip the underwear."
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Skip can mean to omit something, or omit dealing with something.
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