There is\are

[Tdol]

;-)

 

[RonBee]

I see a difference between a couple and a couple of things.

 

[Casiopea]

;-)

There are a couple of things....

a couple of things = two things

'things', plural, is the object, so the verb 'are' is plural, too.

 

[RonBee]

;-)

There are a couple of things....

a couple of things = two things

'things', plural, is the object, so the verb 'are' is plural, too.

That's the difference.

We say a couple is. (That is because couple is seen as a unit, while a couple of phrases are construed as plural.) Example:

• A couple is two.

:wink:

 

[Tdol]

In colloquial BE, the singular form is very common and, living in London, I have found myself saying it. It's another example of us being lax with singular and plural. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

I've been thinking about this one and wondering which really is used more often--is or are. I think it is a bit muddled. I think here (USA) we most often use are with couple. On the other hand, it seems that with pair we most often use is.

• There are a couple of people in the room.
  There are a couple of dogs running down the street.
  There is a pair of scissors in the drawer.
  There is a pair of socks on the bed.

Interesting.



[Edited to put the "are" in the first sentence.]

 

[Casiopea]

There's a pair of socks in the drawer.
There's a unit in the drawer.

There's a couple of pairs of socks in the drawer.
There are several units.

They're a pair of thieves.
They're a couple of thieves.

:wink:

 

[RonBee]

There's a pair of socks in the drawer.
There's a unit in the drawer.

There's a couple of pairs of socks in the drawer.
There are several units.

They're a pair of thieves.
They're a couple of thieves.

:wink:

The first pair: both singular. The second pair: both plural? ("There's" is increasingly being used to mean "They are".) The third pair: both singular.

What's the rule? Is there a rule?

 

[Luzkos]

Well, what is correct??? Is or are? Please reply.
Have a nice day.

 

[Omar!]

So , what is the correct . You haven`t give us the correct answer yet !

I selected ( are) cause of ( things ) which is plural .

I`m I true or false

 

[Harry Smith]

When I read all the replies to this thread "There is\are" I couldn't understand who was right and who wasn't. Concequently such discussions do not help students improve their knowlegde.
I myself think "there is" is followed by a singular noun, i.e "There is a couple" is correct.;-)

 

[opportune]

we use there is in singular and there are in plural

 

[Murtadha Ali]

so what's the correct answer?
I have put "are", but I am not sure....
;-)

 

[Tdol]

As you can see from the results, there is disagreement on this. There are cases where some use the plural and other the singular.

 

[Harry Smith]

As you can see from the results, there is disagreement on this. There are cases where some use the plural and other the singular.

And what do you think? ;-)

 

[riverkid]

LGSWE:

In fact, such examples [singular '"there's + plural noun phrase] are somewhat more common in conversation than the standard constructions with plural verb plus plural noun phrase.

...

The special behavior of there's is matched by a similar tendency for here's, where's, and how's:

Here's your shoes.

Where's your tapes.

How's mum and dad.

A: How's things?

B: Not too bad.

 

[Harry Smith]

LGSWE:

In fact, such examples [singular '"there's + plural noun phrase] are somewhat more common in conversation than the standard constructions with plural verb plus plural noun phrase.

...

The special behavior of there's is matched by a similar tendency for here's, where's, and how's:

Here's your shoes.

Where's your tapes.

How's mum and dad.

A: How's things?

B: Not too bad.

So ther is no explanation for it. We can use this construction as we wish: both there is and there are even if they are followed by a singular or a plural noun.;-)

 

[Tdol]

I wouldn't use it freely in formal contexts, but informally, the contracted singular is used fairly often with a plural. ;-)

 

[riverkid]

I wouldn't use it freely in formal contexts, but informally, the contracted singular is used failry often with a plural. ;-)

Studies have found that "there's + plural" predominates in speech.

 

[Tdol]

I'm not surprised. Is it common to all or most regional varieties?