Question

英语语法高手请进

Someone's youth is the period of their life during which they are a child, before they are a fully mature adult. 这个句子中someone 是单数，they 是复数, child 又是单数，这些词表示一个概念时有没有语法错误？谢谢指教

Answer 1

错的。代词和相应的动词'与先行词不一致。
建议把someone改成复数的单词，比如说 people.
People's youths are the period of their lives during which they are children before they are fullly mature adults.
如果要用Someone做主语，句子就会变成
Someone's youth is the period of his/ her life during which he/ she is a child before he/ she is a fully mature adult. 但英语语法专家表示，这样的写作是比较低级的，因为显示出writer没有能力可以简洁的表达出他的想法。如果单用he或she 做代词，就会涉及到性别歧视，这在欧美国家是极为敏感的。

如果觉得回答的好，LZ就采用吧。^-^

追问

谢谢你的回答。如果这句话不是来自于字典的话，我会非常满意你的答案。不过我还是更喜欢你的表达方式，至少不会出错。

Answer 2

我倒觉得此话正确，最好问外国人。我记得语法书说，“某人”someone, anyone 等不定代词，用人称代词指代时，多用复数形式 they, them, their，虽然有时也用单数形式 he, him, his。所以这句话我认为只有英国人、美国人等英语为母语国家的人才可以给出满意答案。

Answer 3

没错。回应someone 的代词，即可用he/him/his,也可用they/them/their.
例句：Someone is against the plan,is he?/aren't they?

追问

那句子的后半部分，which they are a child，的语法又怎么解释

Answer 4

someone做主语时为单数。
我觉得改成Someone's youth is the period of his life during which he is a child, before he is a fully mature adult.好一点。