Learn English – wrong with “I don’t like these kind of things”

grammaticalityverb-agreementword-choice

The New Oxford American Dictionary has the following note for kind.
(Notice the sentence I highlighted.)

The plural of kind often causes difficulty. With this or that, speaking of one kind, use a singular construction: this kind of cake is my favorite; that kind of fabric doesn’t need ironing. With these or those, speaking of more than one kind, use a plural construction: these kinds of guitars are very expensive; those kinds of animals ought to be left in the wild. Although often encountered, sentences such as I don’t like these kind of things are incorrect. The same recommendations apply to sort and sorts.

For which reason is I don’t like these kind of things incorrect?

Best Answer

these and those are determiners that select for a plural count (and can be compared to this and that). Note, there are some determiners which don't have to agree with the count of their noun (e.g. the).

*I don't like these kind of things.

I don't like this kind of thing.

I don't like these kinds of things.

The first is ungrammatical, the next two are good.