Exercise: Other types of concord
The pronoun they is frequently used as a 3rd person singular pronoun (Everybody knows this, don't they?), though some people consider it wrong or at any rate colloquial.
Complete the following with a suitable word in colloquial style.
At one time everyone with a telephone paid for Directory Enquiries - regardless of how often (1) THEY used the service. Now a British Telecom customer only has
to pay when (2)............... actually (3) ....................... it. And some people do not
have to pay at all. Neither a blind person nor a person unable to use the phone books
through some disability (4) ......................... to pay. So if you know someone who
(S) ..................... eligible, tell (6) ...................... to ask BT about it.
There's another exception. No call to Directory Enquiries from a BT public
payphone (7) ......................... anything at all.
Apart from these free enquiries, each enquiry now (8) .................. over 35p.
Usually when I ring home either my father or mother (9) ....................... But
neither of them ( 10)....................at home yesterday, which surprised me as neither
of them (11).....................out very often. Anyway none of the people I tried to
phone yesterday (12)..........................obtainable.