The Exclusive One: Only One of + Plural Noun + Relative Pronoun + Singular Verb
When the phrase 'Only one of + Plural Noun' is used, the word 'Only' changes the focus. In this specific case, the relative pronoun (who, which, that) refers back to 'one' (emphasized by 'only'), making the verb in the relative clause singular.
- âĻ Rule 1: Structure: 'Only one of + Plural Noun + (who/which/that) + Singular Verb'.
- âĻ Rule 2: The word 'Only' isolates 'one' as the unique subject, even within the relative clause. The relative pronoun now refers to 'the only one'.
- âĻ Rule 3: Example: 'He is the only one of the students who **has** completed the advanced course.' (Here, 'who' refers to 'the only one', so 'has' is singular).
Identify the part of the sentence that contains an error: "She is the only one of the candidates who were selected for the final interview round."