Thursday, October 8, 2015

grammatical number - Agreement of verb 'to be' and a singular noun after a plural noun



How does the subject-verb agreement work when a singular noun describes a plural one?
Of the following, which sentence is righter?





The computers is a good choice.



The computers are a good choice.




Is there a rule about these types of formations? Please explain.


Answer



A subject can be plural while a complement is singular.





We (Mom, Dad, my sister, and I) are a family.




is a good example.




The computers are a good choice.





is the only correct one. Not just "righter".



You cannot use a singular verb for a plural subject (noun). In colloquial English, sometimes the constructions "we was" + [plural nouns] / "there is" + [plural nouns] are used. But this is only colloquial.


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