Q: The word "proven" seems to have disappeared completely. Every book, magazine article or newspaper report I read says "has proved" instead of "has proven." When did this change take place? — Marcia Archambeault, Massena, New York

A: Your question fascinates me because traditionally it's "proven" that has been derided as a second-rate variant of "proved."

Bryan Garner's book "Modern American Usage," for instance, sniffs, "'Proved' has long been the preferred past participle of 'prove,'" e.g., "He hasn't been proved wrong yet." Likewise, the "Associated Press Stylebook" snaps, "Use 'proven' only as an adjective: 'a proven remedy.'" (Like the A.P., all authorities accept "proven" as an adjective, e.g. "proven oil reserves").

Your concern that the past participle "proved" is a mistake reveals just how widespread "proven" has become.

Here's the backstory: The verb "prove" has two past participles: "proved" and "proven." "Proved" is the older form, and until the late 20th century, it was considered to be the only correct form, e.g., "The effectiveness of the medicine has been proved."

But in recent decades, the past participle "proven" has become more prevalent. In fact, as your question suggests, some people now regard "proven" as the norm and judge "proved" to be incorrect.

What to do?

My fellow Romans, we have crossed the 'Proov'icon. "Proven" has proven itself to be the equal of "proved" as a past participle. Feel free to use either "proved" or "proven" as a past participle without guilt. And this is no "Robbie con."

Q: This morning in church, I heard the pastor say, "They are what has given me hope." Does the pronoun "what" take on the number of its antecedent ("they")? If "what" is plural, shouldn't the verb be "have"? — Mark, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

A: Intriguing questions such as yours are what have kept me writing this column.

The pronoun "what," like "that" and "which," may be singular or plural. If the pastor's "they" refers to a single concept, say "forgiveness and grace," as opposed to "the Bible and my lucky rabbit's foot," then I suppose a case could be made for treating "what" as singular ("what has given").

But the pastor, by beginning the sentence with the plural pronoun "they" and the verb "are," instead of the singular "it" and "is," has made a choice. In this case, "what" should be treated as a plural — "They are what have given me hope."

Amen.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His book, "Mark My Words," is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to WordGuy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. COPYRIGHT 2025 CREATORS.COM

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