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I'm certain plurals are discussed endlessly, but I haven't located an answer to this specific usage:

In the following sentences I believe the first one is correct because it discusses a singular list or group containing multiple names, where the second one treats the group as if it is "multiple groups." Which sentence is correct?

  1. Once you get the software set up, here is our names: Bob, Joe, Sam.
  2. Once you get the software set up, here are our names: Bob, Joe, Sam.

Thank you and kind regards!

Edited to add the list after the colon. So now that the singular "list" is shown do the answers below still apply? Is "2" still correct?

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  • Number 2 is correct. “names” is plural and it doesn’t say, “ here is a list of our names.”
    – Jim
    Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 16:28
  • #1 would be correct if you specified that it was a list of names. "Once you get the software set up, here is our list of names." You can't assume the ready knows it is a list; you must be specific.
    – Hank
    Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 16:29
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    Neither sounds grammatical. 'Once you have ...' requires a future construction. Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 16:51

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The second one is correct. Names is plural, it takes the plural verb. You never use or imply 'list' or 'group'.

To use the singular form of the verb, express it as:

here is a list of names

here is our set of usernames

here is the employee directory

For another example, a parent who says in the context of their family "Here is our children" would be equally wrong; children is plural (even though it's a single set of children).

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  • Please check for duplicates before answering. Commented Jan 12, 2017 at 16:54

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