What

[Vaedoris]

When the pronoun what is used as the subject of a sentence, is it always singular?

 

[BobK]

I imagine you mean - predominantly - in cleft sentences that have 'What' as the subject:

'What I want is a nice hot bath.'

No problem there. But when the thing wanted is plural, views differ. Swan says

A what-clause is normally considered to be singular; if it begins a cleft sentence it is followed by is/was. But a plural verb is sometimes possible before a plural noun in an informal style. [My emphasis.]

Practical English Usage, 130,1.

So use the singular (which some people prefer anyway - me, for example ;-)) in an exam. What I do, when there is a plural complement, is invert the cleft sentence: 'More people like that are what we need.' (This doesn't solve the problem, but it 'papers over the cracks'. ;-))

b

 

[Vaedoris]

A what-clause is normally considered to be singular; if it begins a cleft sentence it is followed by is/was. But a plural verb is sometimes possible before a plural noun in an informal style. [My emphasis.]

b

Yes, this is exactly the answer I was looking for.

Thank you, BobK.