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Reading books and checking websites has/have helped them

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2

Which is more correct to say?

Reading books and checking websites has helped them.

Reading books and checking websites have helped them.

grammar

share|improve this question

asked Nov 13 '18 at 18:22

Allemande249Allemande249

476

bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago

This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Both are acceptable, check with the topic of "notional agreement" or "synesis". If you see both activities as one undertaking, then there's no reason you can't use "has" instead of "have". The boring example I keep bringing up is "The band are/is playing". Also, there are many questions on this site about this topic.
  
  – Zebrafish
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:40
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Also how related the subjects are can matter, see this example: books.google.com/ngrams/…
  
  – Zebrafish
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I can only make have work if you treat reading and checking as adjectives. I.e., there are math books, writing books and reading books and there are websites that test things (testing websites) and websites that check things (checking websites). Both reading books and checking websites have helped them. But I'm sure that's not the intended meaning.
  
  – Jim
  Nov 14 '18 at 3:19
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

2

Which is more correct to say?

Reading books and checking websites has helped them.

Reading books and checking websites have helped them.

grammar

share|improve this question

asked Nov 13 '18 at 18:22

Allemande249Allemande249

476

bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 3 hours ago

This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Both are acceptable, check with the topic of "notional agreement" or "synesis". If you see both activities as one undertaking, then there's no reason you can't use "has" instead of "have". The boring example I keep bringing up is "The band are/is playing". Also, there are many questions on this site about this topic.
  
  – Zebrafish
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:40
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Also how related the subjects are can matter, see this example: books.google.com/ngrams/…
  
  – Zebrafish
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:49
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I can only make have work if you treat reading and checking as adjectives. I.e., there are math books, writing books and reading books and there are websites that test things (testing websites) and websites that check things (checking websites). Both reading books and checking websites have helped them. But I'm sure that's not the intended meaning.
  
  – Jim
  Nov 14 '18 at 3:19
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Which is more correct to say?

Reading books and checking websites has helped them.

Reading books and checking websites have helped them.

grammar

share|improve this question

asked Nov 13 '18 at 18:22

Allemande249Allemande249

476

share|improve this question

asked Nov 13 '18 at 18:22

Allemande249Allemande249

476

share|improve this question

asked Nov 13 '18 at 18:22

Allemande249Allemande249

476

asked Nov 13 '18 at 18:22

Allemande249Allemande249

476

asked Nov 13 '18 at 18:22

Allemande249Allemande249

476

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

0

Think of ‘reading books and checking websites’ as being ‘an activity’. A completed ‘activity’.

‘Something you did’, which collectively is ‘activity’. This makes it, in English ‘one thing’ (implied).

So we would use ‘has’, which refers to the singular. ‘Have’, in my view, is absolutely not correct in this sentence and sounds very weird to my (English!) ears - iffff... those sentences are complete.

Howeverrr...

...If you continued on with the second sentence - for example:

‘Reading books and checking websites have helped them to gain a further understanding of the Italian Renaissance’

Then in that case, we do need to say ‘have’. Because now, what is implied is ‘the activities’. Multiple and discrete ‘activities’. Which then takes the plural.

Whyyyy?

• Single things (even when ‘implied’) take the singular ‘has’

‘This completed activity or group of activities’ (perceived as one thing - ‘this activity’ - singular) has helped them

• Multiple things (even when implied) take the plural ‘have’

‘These two activities’ (perceived as multiple things) have helped them

In a nutshell: use ‘has’ when you want to refer to the individual activities that took place. Use ‘have’ when you want to refer to ‘the activity’ (or ‘effort) that ‘went on’.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 23:11

JelilaJelila

3,0461315

add a comment | 

-3

The second is correct in this instance. Because there are two subjects joined by and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb. Gregg's Reference Manual (11th ed.) paragraph 1002a explains this as follows:

If the subject consists of two or more words that are connected by and or by both ... and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 19:39

Bryan PettitBryan Pettit

485

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  In that case, would the phrase "Reading the book and checking this website has helped them." be correct?
  
  – Allemande249
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:01
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I think it should be have in that instance as well, but I'm having a hard time finding a specific supporting source. An easier way to get around has vs. have might be to change the sentence to get rid of the ambiguous checking; in most cases, reading could apply both to books and websites. Therefore, "Reading the book and this website has helped them..." would work because the subject is the singular Reading. (Using this logic, the original question asked would be "Reading books and websites has helped them...".)
  
  – Bryan Pettit
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:48
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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0

Think of ‘reading books and checking websites’ as being ‘an activity’. A completed ‘activity’.

‘Something you did’, which collectively is ‘activity’. This makes it, in English ‘one thing’ (implied).

So we would use ‘has’, which refers to the singular. ‘Have’, in my view, is absolutely not correct in this sentence and sounds very weird to my (English!) ears - iffff... those sentences are complete.

Howeverrr...

...If you continued on with the second sentence - for example:

‘Reading books and checking websites have helped them to gain a further understanding of the Italian Renaissance’

Then in that case, we do need to say ‘have’. Because now, what is implied is ‘the activities’. Multiple and discrete ‘activities’. Which then takes the plural.

Whyyyy?

• Single things (even when ‘implied’) take the singular ‘has’

‘This completed activity or group of activities’ (perceived as one thing - ‘this activity’ - singular) has helped them

• Multiple things (even when implied) take the plural ‘have’

‘These two activities’ (perceived as multiple things) have helped them

In a nutshell: use ‘has’ when you want to refer to the individual activities that took place. Use ‘have’ when you want to refer to ‘the activity’ (or ‘effort) that ‘went on’.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 23:11

JelilaJelila

3,0461315

add a comment | 

0

Think of ‘reading books and checking websites’ as being ‘an activity’. A completed ‘activity’.

‘Something you did’, which collectively is ‘activity’. This makes it, in English ‘one thing’ (implied).

So we would use ‘has’, which refers to the singular. ‘Have’, in my view, is absolutely not correct in this sentence and sounds very weird to my (English!) ears - iffff... those sentences are complete.

Howeverrr...

...If you continued on with the second sentence - for example:

‘Reading books and checking websites have helped them to gain a further understanding of the Italian Renaissance’

Then in that case, we do need to say ‘have’. Because now, what is implied is ‘the activities’. Multiple and discrete ‘activities’. Which then takes the plural.

Whyyyy?

• Single things (even when ‘implied’) take the singular ‘has’

‘This completed activity or group of activities’ (perceived as one thing - ‘this activity’ - singular) has helped them

• Multiple things (even when implied) take the plural ‘have’

‘These two activities’ (perceived as multiple things) have helped them

In a nutshell: use ‘has’ when you want to refer to the individual activities that took place. Use ‘have’ when you want to refer to ‘the activity’ (or ‘effort) that ‘went on’.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 23:11

JelilaJelila

3,0461315

add a comment | 

Think of ‘reading books and checking websites’ as being ‘an activity’. A completed ‘activity’.

‘Something you did’, which collectively is ‘activity’. This makes it, in English ‘one thing’ (implied).

So we would use ‘has’, which refers to the singular. ‘Have’, in my view, is absolutely not correct in this sentence and sounds very weird to my (English!) ears - iffff... those sentences are complete.

Howeverrr...

...If you continued on with the second sentence - for example:

‘Reading books and checking websites have helped them to gain a further understanding of the Italian Renaissance’

Then in that case, we do need to say ‘have’. Because now, what is implied is ‘the activities’. Multiple and discrete ‘activities’. Which then takes the plural.

Whyyyy?

• Single things (even when ‘implied’) take the singular ‘has’

‘This completed activity or group of activities’ (perceived as one thing - ‘this activity’ - singular) has helped them

• Multiple things (even when implied) take the plural ‘have’

‘These two activities’ (perceived as multiple things) have helped them

In a nutshell: use ‘has’ when you want to refer to the individual activities that took place. Use ‘have’ when you want to refer to ‘the activity’ (or ‘effort) that ‘went on’.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 23:11

JelilaJelila

3,0461315

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 23:11

JelilaJelila

3,0461315

answered Nov 13 '18 at 23:11

JelilaJelila

3,0461315

answered Nov 13 '18 at 23:11

JelilaJelila

3,0461315

-3

The second is correct in this instance. Because there are two subjects joined by and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb. Gregg's Reference Manual (11th ed.) paragraph 1002a explains this as follows:

If the subject consists of two or more words that are connected by and or by both ... and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 19:39

Bryan PettitBryan Pettit

485

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  In that case, would the phrase "Reading the book and checking this website has helped them." be correct?
  
  – Allemande249
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:01
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I think it should be have in that instance as well, but I'm having a hard time finding a specific supporting source. An easier way to get around has vs. have might be to change the sentence to get rid of the ambiguous checking; in most cases, reading could apply both to books and websites. Therefore, "Reading the book and this website has helped them..." would work because the subject is the singular Reading. (Using this logic, the original question asked would be "Reading books and websites has helped them...".)
  
  – Bryan Pettit
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:48
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

-3

The second is correct in this instance. Because there are two subjects joined by and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb. Gregg's Reference Manual (11th ed.) paragraph 1002a explains this as follows:

If the subject consists of two or more words that are connected by and or by both ... and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 19:39

Bryan PettitBryan Pettit

485

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  In that case, would the phrase "Reading the book and checking this website has helped them." be correct?
  
  – Allemande249
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:01
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I think it should be have in that instance as well, but I'm having a hard time finding a specific supporting source. An easier way to get around has vs. have might be to change the sentence to get rid of the ambiguous checking; in most cases, reading could apply both to books and websites. Therefore, "Reading the book and this website has helped them..." would work because the subject is the singular Reading. (Using this logic, the original question asked would be "Reading books and websites has helped them...".)
  
  – Bryan Pettit
  Nov 13 '18 at 20:48
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

The second is correct in this instance. Because there are two subjects joined by and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb. Gregg's Reference Manual (11th ed.) paragraph 1002a explains this as follows:

If the subject consists of two or more words that are connected by and or by both ... and, the subject is plural and requires a plural verb.

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 19:39

Bryan PettitBryan Pettit

485

share|improve this answer

answered Nov 13 '18 at 19:39

Bryan PettitBryan Pettit

485

answered Nov 13 '18 at 19:39

Bryan PettitBryan Pettit

485

answered Nov 13 '18 at 19:39

Bryan PettitBryan Pettit

485