Agreement between a verb and its subject for number and person.
14
votes
2answers
1k views
Is it grammatically correct to say "Your barracks is finished.”?
In the online game "Travian" the following sentence is used:
"Your barracks is finished. A good step towards world domination.”
Shouldn't it be:
Your barracks are finished
or
Your ...
14
votes
8answers
8k views
“There is/are more than one”. What's the difference?
While adding to an Answer to this question, I needed to use the above phrase, and I suddenly realised I was unsure whether to write "is" or "are".
There is more than one way to skin a cat.
If there ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
“A lot of ideas” is or are?
My boyfriend and I are arguing about whether the phrase "a lot of ideas" should be followed with is or are. I say that it should be is because the verb is linking to a lot, not ideas. If it were "lots ...
2
votes
2answers
139 views
“Why isn't this line formatted correctly, but formatting work(s) here on Meta?”
If you look here, you can see last revision, from Cody Gray, that he changed "this line of code does not work correctly on stackoverflow but works here on" to "this line of code does not work ...
2
votes
4answers
186 views
Verb agreement with subjects of different grammatical number [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When a sentence uses an optional plural, should the rest of the sentence treat it as singular or plural?
I'm writing a technical guide and trying to define 'reader' as ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
How to choose verb after “there” in beginning of sentence?
Cambridge "Advanced Grammar in Use" provides following rule in Unit 95C:
If the noun phrase consists of two or more nouns in a list, we use a singular
verb if the first noun is singular or ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
Pants — “is it” or “are they”?
This question has come straight from this great question title: Pants — why is it plural?
I just thought that if somebody hadn't already edited the title, it is either written right, or all editors ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
'Who all is'…is that grammatically correct?
I often tend to say something like 'Who all is coming to the movies?' and my friends correct me that I should be saying 'Who all are coming to the movies?' So which one is correct?
3
votes
3answers
2k views
“Do” vs. “does” with multiple singular subjects
How does serverfault, stackoverflow and other stackExchange sites connect together?
Is that does or do?
Because I'm talking about multiple items, it would be do. What is more correct?
9
votes
5answers
518 views
What does the door do?
We would like to enlist your help in arbitrating this grammatical dilemma.
Given the question:
What does the door do?
Which of the following options is most correct as a response to the ...
3
votes
3answers
1k views
Grammar behind the song title 'The Way I Are'
You might know the song called The Way I Are by Timberland featuring Keri Hilson. I am very confused here. How does The Way I Are make sense?
6
votes
3answers
2k views
“Are” vs. “is” with compound subjects
How are the wife and kid?
How is the wife and kid?
Which is more correct?
7
votes
2answers
447 views
Historical usage of “was”/“were” with “you”
I was reading letters from a surgeon to his wife during the Civil War and noticed he used "was" as opposed to "were" on many occasions. Examples:
I truly wish you was here with me.
Was you ...
1
vote
2answers
250 views
Plural contraction in a very specific case: Which is correct? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“There are so many” vs. “There is so many”
I was talking with a friend recently, and to entice him to come to an event with cookies.
Which way ...
2
votes
2answers
269 views
Is the past tense correct in “Did you know Fred was a doctor?” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
He didn't know where New Jersey was…
Tense change: previous actions on something that's currently true
My wife and I were disagreeing about this today:
...
12
votes
8answers
1k views
The grammaticality of “that don't impress me much”
I'd like to know how the sentence "That don't impress me much" sounds to a native English speaker.
The phrase is the title of a song by Shania Twain, and to my eyes it contains a clear error. It is ...
8
votes
1answer
1k views
[Singular] Is/Are [Plural]?
My fish's native habitat is rice fields.
My fish's native habitat are rice fields.
I'm pretty sure the first is correct, since 'is' modifies 'habitat,' but it still sounds weird...
4
votes
3answers
825 views
Is it: My apples and orange are/is wrong?
Simple question:
My apples and orange are wrong
or
My apples and orange is wrong
I am not a native English speaker, and I am having some trouble choosing between plural are or singular is ...
4
votes
3answers
5k views
“who doesn't” vs. “who don't”
What is the difference between "There will be users who doesn't buy something" and "There will be users who don't buy something"? Are they both grammatically correct?
8
votes
4answers
15k views
Which is correct: “one or more is” or “one or more are”?
Should the phrase be "one or more is...", or "one or more are..."?
6
votes
4answers
3k views
Which is correct: “All the media is” or “all the media are”?
I think I know that media is a plural word.
So then which one is correct,
"All the media is"
or
"All the media are"?
When you search Google, both seem to appear at the same ...
7
votes
3answers
15k views
“How's things?” or “How are things?”
In a short interview where people were introducing themselves I saw something that grammatically sounds erroneous. Is the use of How's things instead of How're things a kind of expression or a simple ...
8
votes
2answers
754 views
“Will have” vs. “Would have”
By the end of the year, I would have attended this school for five years.
Of course, the "most" correct way of writing this would be:
By the end of the year, I will have attended this school ...
17
votes
6answers
1k views
Is “the USA” singular or plural?
On the one side, the USA is just one country. Logic says it should be, then, singular, just like the United Kingdom is. Example:
The USA owns this domain.
On the other side, if I however expand ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
When a sentence uses an optional plural, should the rest of the sentence treat it as singular or plural?
Consider the following sentence:
We assume that the individual(s) possesses some general knowledge of the rules of football.
Is "possesses" correct there? Should it be "possess"? Is the rule ...
3
votes
4answers
465 views
Tenses for two clauses joined by “if only”
Our school had won the match if only we have concentrated.
Our school would have won the match if only we would have concentrated.
Our school would win the match if only we had concentrated.
...
3
votes
2answers
443 views
Is a music band a singular or a collective entity, grammatically speaking? [duplicate]
Duplicate:
Is the usage of “are” correct when referring to a team/group/band?
What is correct to say?
Korn* is a great band
OR
Korn* are a great band.
(* You can ...
17
votes
6answers
23k views
Which is correct, “neither is” or “neither are”?
Bob: "Can I set the font color? Can I customize the text?"
Frank: "Neither of these options is available. Sorry!"
Is "neither is" always correct or should one use "neither are" in some cases and ...
1
vote
2answers
172 views
Verb agreement in the sentence
Every morning right after I went to the bathroom, I tell myself
In the sentence above should went and tell agree?
Is above correct?
7
votes
3answers
585 views
“Yes, I thought it was very good.” Why “thought”?
Here is a sentence from "Essential Grammar in Use" book by Raymond Murphy:
Did you enjoy the film ? Yes, I thought
it was very good.
The correct answer in key section is "thought", but why not ...
6
votes
3answers
8k views
“A total of 10 babies is…” vs. “a total of 10 babies are…” vs. “Ten babies in total are…”
Which one is the correct one?
A total of 10 babies is sleeping. (A)
A total of 10 babies are sleeping. (B)
Ten babies in total are sleeping. (C)
For me, both (A) and (C) are correct. ...
8
votes
3answers
3k views
“Are either of you free?”
In the process of writing to two people I typed: "Are either of you free?" and was immediately called out by my grammar checker which suggested I should write: "Is either of you free?"
The second of ...
6
votes
3answers
4k views
Is “a total of 10 payments” singular or plural?
A total of 10 payments were made.
OR
A total of 10 payments was made.
Which is correct? Or can both be correct?
20
votes
2answers
9k views
A number of questions “has been” or “have been” asked?
Formally, is it correct to write:
A number of questions has been asked here.
or:
A number of questions have been asked here.
As a non-native speaker of English, I would prefer the former: ...
3
votes
1answer
59 views
“Retrieves and let you print” or “Retrieves and lets you print”?
Speaking of some program, which of these sentences is correct?
Retrieves and let you print...
Retrieves and lets you print...
14
votes
4answers
6k views
Is “staff” plural?
Which one of these two statements is correct?
Our staff do ...
Our staff does ...
Is staffs correct?
7
votes
1answer
2k views
Ellipsis or Ellipses?
Inspired by this question: What is the correct term to use when describing the "three dots" (. . .), ellipsis or ellipses? And are either of these terms considered plural?
For example, if I wanted to ...
4
votes
3answers
296 views
Should we use past tense in “Lugo admitted he is the father”?
In this sentence, should the is be a was?
On April 13, 2009, Lugo admitted he is the father of a child conceived with Viviana Carrillo.
5
votes
2answers
2k views
When should I use “is” and when should I use “are”?
I always mixed them up, and use the wrong one on other sites on StackExchange. And the questions is edited by another person.
When should I use "is" and when should I use "are"?
Sometimes I write ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
What is wrong with “I don’t like these kind of things”?
The New Oxford American Dictionary reports that
USAGE
1 Kind of is sometimes used to be deliberately vague: it was kind of a big evening; I was kind of hoping you’d call. More often it reveals ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
“Neither Michael nor Albert is correct” or “Neither Michael nor Albert are correct”?
What is the correct sentence?
Neither Michael nor Albert is correct.
Neither Michael nor Albert are correct.
11
votes
3answers
11k views
Is “everyone” singular or plural?
Which is correct?
Everyone were convinced that he would go to the game.
Everyone was convinced that he would go to the game.
I think it's "was", because "everyone" is singular, but I just ...
