should I use singular or plural here?
I've read an question and answer as following on a website.

Do you like going to museums?
Yea I do, I’m into going to museums, I go whenever I get the chance, not only does it give me new insights, but it’s also a place that helps me get a better picture of different things.

My view is that "museum" is a countable noun, so they are referred in the answer, we should plural, so we should say "not only do they give me new insights, but THEY are also places that help me ....."

which pattern should I use here? singular or plural

Question

should I use singular or plural here?
I've read an question and answer as following on a website.

Do you like going to museums?
Yea I do, I’m into going to museums, I go whenever I get the chance, not only does it give me new insights, but it’s also a place that helps me get a better picture of different things.

My view is that "museum"  is a countable noun, so they are referred in the answer, we should plural, so we should say "not only do they give me new insights, but THEY are also places that help me ....."

which pattern should I use here? singular or plural

Answer

The plural is more appropriate in this case, because you are giving a general statement that you like going to museums and it would not be assumed that you like going to just one, right? So the plural is needed.

Answer

"Going" is the important word here. "I go whenever I get the chance. Not only does going ("it" can be replaced by what it refers to) give me new insights, but going to museums also helps me get a better picture of different things." The focus is on going to museums, but of course if you are talking generally about more than one museum, then "they" is the proper plural.

Answer

In the first sentence I think the 'it' that they are referring to is the act of going to museums, so it's technically correct.   However, the second part should be "they". By saying "it's a place", you are making a run-on sentence. You would be understood by native speakers, and native speakers often speak like this, but technically it's grammatically incorrect.

Answers · 4

Still haven’t found your answers?

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!