Tuesday, December 31, 2013

whereabouts are/whereabouts is: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, December 31, 2013

whereabouts are/whereabouts is
Despite the deceptive S on the end of the word, “whereabouts” is normally singular, not plural. “The whereabouts of the stolen diamond is unknown.” Only if you were simultaneously referring to two or more persons having separate whereabouts would the word be plural, and you are quite unlikely to want to do so.

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2 comments:

  1. This is blatantly incorrect. "Whereabouts" is plurale tantum because it refers places one might be "about". For example, it is clearly "his whereabouts are unknown", and not "his whereabouts is unknown".

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    Replies
    1. Good discussion of the matter here:
      http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/5991/does-whereabouts-function-as-a-singular-or-plural-noun

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