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The verb 'need', always seems to throw me off somehow.

I feel in the sentence - "For a person to be affected, a copy of the gene from each parent need to be inherited" - it should be "needs" in place of "need", because it written following the word "Each" (which is singular).

Thank you for your answers.

Mumbas11
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  • Because 'a copy' is singular - that is what is being inherited. – Kate Bunting Jul 14 '21 at 19:59
  • The present "subjunctive" construction has been archaic since Patrick Henry used it. It's vertiginously high register in this quote, and could be viewed as a possible source of ambiguity. Don't do it. – John Lawler Jul 14 '21 at 20:28
  • @ Kate Bunting so you're agreeing that it should be "needs" instead ? – Mumbas11 Jul 15 '21 at 00:16

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