As well as confusion

[Paul Zheng]

Hi,

I would like to find out which sentence is grammatically correct.

The father as well as the sisters are going to the concert.
Or
The father as well as the sisters is going to the concert.

Thanks!

[Mylanguageclick]

It is possible to connect two subjects with as well as. If the first subject is singular, the verb is usually singular.

Mary, as well as Carl, was invited to the party.

Regards.

[Paul Zheng]

Thanks a million.

[J&K Tutoring]

I'd like to expand on Mylanguageclick's (correct) response.


The father as well as the sisters are going to the concert.
Or
The father as well as the sisters is going to the concert

These sentences both sound a little odd. We typically wouldn't use 'the father' or 'the sisters' unless we are speaking about members of clergy. If we are, then I think the words 'father and 'sisters' should be capitalized, as they are honorifics. Most likely, the writer is talking about relatives of someone- perhaps himself- in which case he would identify them as 'my father', 'my sisters' or, if not the writer's relatives, then 'his/her' father' and 'his/her sisters'.

My father and sisters are going to the concert.

Her father and sisters are going to the concert.

One might make the case that these are still ambiguous, as they don't specify whether the sisters are the writer's sisters or the father's sisters. It should be understood by the construction that the sisters belong to the same antecedent as the father. If you do mean father's sisters, then you should write, "My/Her father and his sisters are going to the concert".

[Paul Zheng]

Thanks for the alternative. Refreshing to know.

Cheers!
Zheng