Korean Job Discussion Forums

[demi]

I posted this in general forum but i don't think i should have.

Can someone explain why we must use ''have' and not 'has' in the following:

"Three years 'have' passed since he left."

One of my students doesn't understand why. I have to come up with an answer. Anyone know? Help please:(

[SuperHero]

subject verb agreement. Your subject is "three years" and is plural thus you need to use "have".

[Ya-ta Boy]

Try this:

1st Person Singular 1st Person Plural
I have 2 legs. We (you and I) have 4 legs.


2nd Person Singular 2nd Person Plural
You have 2 legs. You (you and Tom) have 4 legs.


3rd Person Singular 3rd Person Plural
1 dog has 4 legs. There are 5 dogs here. They have 20 legs.

Conjugating verbs is a boring necessity. Use lots of repetition to drill it into their little heads so it is automatic.

You'll notice that only the 3rd Person Singular is different. That is the one that needs an explanation, and no one has one. Some illiterate German who thought it was a good pass-time to take off all his clothes, paint himself blue and behead a Roman so he'd have a drinking cup for his mead decided this part of English. IF he had a reason, it died with him. All we know is that that is how it's done.

[demi]

thanks everyone for the input. I shld have put my whole qst in the OP.

why shld we say:

three years 'have' passed since he left.

how do i explain the above in light of the example below?

three years 'is' not enough (why can't it be 'are')

Obviously i know this stuff 'seattle', but im useless at explaining it so i've asked for some help. u seem rather angry about that. why?

Any input appreciated. Thanks

[kimchi story]

Well, it can and should be 'are'.

Three years is not enough time. Okay - 'time' is singular.

A waiting period of three years is not enough. Okay - 'A waiting period' is singular.

Three years are not enough. That gets you your agreement, but it's a fragment. There's more you're not telling us here...