SINGULAR OR PLURAL: IS OR ARE?
You know that we say:
The trick is easy, or
It is easy, or
The trick is easy, isn't it?
When we use a plural noun (for example the tricks) we say
The tricks are easy, or
They are easy, or
The tricks are easy, aren't they?
Sometimes it is not so easy to decide whether to use IS or ARE.
In the dialogue on page 43 for instance, we wrote: Isn't three
kilograms of steak too little? Shouldn't we have said: Aren't
three kilograms of steak…? And do we say that five plus five is
ten, or are ten?
How do we know whether to use IS or ARE?
The following should help you. See whether you can find out
why certain words have been grouped.
SINGULAR
PLURAL
Athletics is
sports are
gymnastics is
the Olympic Games are
innings (in cricket) is
economics is
mathematics is
statistics are
physics is
politics is
clothing is
crockery is
cutlery is
jewellery is
billiards is
darts (the game) is
fruit is
furniture is
game (wild animals) is
clothes are
each man is
each of them is
each and everyone is
everyone is
every person is
every boy and girl is
everyone of the girls is
nobody is
nothing is
somebody is
someone is
either of them is
neither of them is
one of the girls is
Your luggage is heavy.
not one of the boys is one in ten is
many a man is
many men are
little is
few are
much is
luggage is
machinery is
mumps is
measles is
news is
many are
the number of … is
a pair of trousers is
a pair of scissors is
a pair of shears is
tidings are
minutes (of a meeting) are
whereabouts are
the odds are
folk are
cattle are
poultry are
people are
the police are
a number of … are
trousers are
pants are
jeans are
scissors are
shears are
2.
a pair Of glasses is
...glasses are
RULES TO REMEMBER
1.
And
Janet AND Barry are good sprinters.
Remember the following:
(a) Two nouns forming one idea
Bacon and eggs is my favourite dish. (One dish)
Macaroni and cheese is good too
Every man and women is concerned. Each and
everyone is pleased.
(b) Two different items
Bacon and eggs are both sold out.
Cheese and macaroni are both rather fattening.
2.
Or, either…or, neither…nor, not…but
…or…
Either…or
Look at the noun or
Neither…nor
pronoun nearer to the
Not only…but also verb.
Not…but
Janet or Barry is responsible.
Janet or the boys are responsible
3. With together
with
Like
Including
As well as
Look at the first noun.
Also
Three kilograms of steak is one quantity.
Twenty cents is very cheap for a sandwich.
Twenty minutes is too long to wait.
6. One of
The boys with Janet are keen to go.
Janet, togethér with the boys, is keen to go.
Janet, like the boys; is keen to go.
All the children; including Janet, are
keen.
Janet as well as the boys is keen.
4. A bunch; a pair
Grapes are good to eat.
A bunch of grapes is good to eat.
Trousers (or jeans or shorts or pants or glasses) are
expensive.
A pair of trousers (or pants or shorts or jeans or i
glasses) is expensive.
5. Amount, distance, time
When we talk about five kilometres we think of
one distance, not of five different things, and we
say
Five kilometres is not too far to walk.
One of the boys is a keen tennis player. (There is only
one tennis playér.)
But
She is one of the girls who love parties.
They recovered one of the cars that were stolen last year.
(Many girls love parties. She is one of them. Many cars
I were stolen. One of them was recovered.)
7. A group of people
You may use either a singular or a plural verb,
depending on how you think of the group. If you say,
''The class is organizing a picnic", you think of the
class as a single unit. If you say, "The class are
arguing about the food", you think of the separate
individuals. The same is true of a crowd, a team, a
family, the public, the government, etc.
8. part of a thing or things
For part of one thing we use a
singular verb.
Half of the ice-cream has
been eaten! Three quarters
of the water has been spilt.
Some of the food is spoilt.
For part of many things we
use a plural verb.
Half of the sandwiches have been eaten.
Three-quarters of the boys have stayed at home.
Some of the children are tired.
9. One plus one
We say
Twenty- five plus twenty is forty-five.
Three times two hundred makes six hundred.
Sixty divided by ten equals (makes/is) six
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