[Grammar] is/are

[Cynthia Garett]

Hi,


What's the correct version?

1) I am confident that my professional experience and academic excellence ARE an indicator that ...

OR

2) I am confident that my professional experience and academic excellence IS an indicator that ...
Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

Which do you think is correct? How many qualities have you listed?

 

[Tarheel]

The correct version is the one that doesn't make me wince.

;-)

 

[Cynthia Garett]

Well I thought "are" is the correct version but a native speaker corrected me, saying it's "is" because it's "one quality with multiple facets". Not to mention that Microsoft Word's spell checker suggested the same, "is". So now I'm confused.

 

[bhaisahab]

Either one works for me.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would use "are", but I would also change "an indicator" to "indicators". You have two qualities and two indicators.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm with Mike. I don't think the qualities can be combined but after "are", "an indicator" doesn't work.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

It's 'are'.

Two things connected by 'and' take a plural verb unless they are considered as one entity.

I hate it when my gin and tonic is not chilled. Fish and chips is a British classic.

 

[Raymott]

Two things connected by 'and' take a plural verb unless they are considered as one entity.

That's exactly right. But most of these questions here are actually asking whether the two things are considered as one entity.

 

[Barb_D]

I don't consider them one entity.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I agree, Barb.

 

[Cynthia Garett]

I have the same problem with this: "The passion for research and study, along with my perpetual desire to xxxx HAS stirred my interest in ...".

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

The subject this time is 'the passion' and therefore takes a singular verb.

'Along with' isn't the same as 'and'.

 

[Tarheel]

View the sentence this way:

The passion for research and study (along with my perpetual desire to xxx) has stirred my interest in xxx.


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