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I speak in Persian, sometimes as I translate a sentence from my native language to English, I doubt if its structure is correct.

I want to say (for example)

"I have some children who each have a responsibility".

"There are some objects which each does something"..

Are they grammatical sentences? what should I say instead?

2 Answers 2

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Both who each and which each are acceptable, though be wary of verb agreement:

I met three sisters who each have identical twins.

The substance is regulated by the US and the EU, which each specify different toxicity levels.

In this case, we require plural agreement, …objects which each do something to be grammatical.

As Kevin notes, however, this construction may sound awkward; rephrasing your examples to say each of whom and each of which would be more natural. In that case the verb is singular for example "there are some objects each of which does..."

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    In AmE, I haven't heard anyone other than English teachers and the incurably pompous use the word whom in years. I think that Ahmad's version, who each would be more likely. That's only my opinion, mind you. Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 15:31
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    @JasonPatterson In certain phrases, whom certainly persists in AmE. You can say Who are you talking to? or write To whom are you talking? but To who are you talking? doesn't have much currency. SImilarly, who each or each of whom, and there is absolutely no contest between each of whom and each of who.
    – choster
    Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 15:35
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    Absolutely, I wouldn't, and didn't, suggest each of who. Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 15:43
  • You say each needs singular verb, and I should use do !!, isn't does singular??
    – Ahmad
    Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 16:09
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    For what it's worth there's (at least) another option: "I met three sisters, each having identical twins", and "regulated by the US and the EU, each specifying different levels". In this case, though, the first of those is humorously ambiguous. I might mean they were in the process of delivering the twins as I met them ;-) This is by comparison with, "I met three three sisters, each having a coffee break". Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 17:29
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I would phrase them in the following way:

I have some children, each of whom has a responsibility.

There are some objects, each of which does something.

Alternatively, and perhaps more naturally,

Each of my children has a responsibility.

Each of these objects does something.

I would probably phrase them in the latter way, but the former construction is also valid (perhaps someone could correct my comma usage, but beyond that, it works).

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  • How about "There are some objects. Each does something ..."? or "I have three children. Each has ..."? Do you mean this?
    – Ahmad
    Commented Jun 1, 2015 at 16:06

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