one of the, one of those

   The problem here is similar to that discussed in the previous entry, but with the difference that here one does not govern the verb. Consider: "Nott is actually one of those rare politicians who really doesn't mind what he says" (Observer). The operative word here is not one but those, as can be seen by inverting the sentence: "Of those politicians who do not mind what they say, Nott is one."

   The mistake is a common one. Even Fowler made it in his Dictionary of Modern English Usage (second edition) when he wrote,uPrestige is one of the words that has had an experience opposite to that described in 'Worsened Words/ " It should be have had. Sixty pages earlier he called the error "a frequent blunder."