Is/ are
Two spoons of sugar ( If we take 'two spoons' as the subject, it's 'are', but if we want refer to 'sugar' & emphasize less 'spoons', 'is' can work'.)
A crew of actors ( subject- a crew, verb-is but, subject- actors, verb- are)
Two pounds of sugar ( subject- two pounds, verb- is; subject- sugar, verb- is)
Please suppose, I have raked a lot of leaves at the yard and they weigh 5 pounds ( please don't mind if the sentence doesn't make sense for I'm just trying to figure this is-are problem out).
5 pounds of leaves is gathered/ are gathered. ( subject- 5 pounds, verb- is; subject- leaves, verb- are).
I guess, it depends on what we are intending to refer to.
Please let me know your suggestions.
Two pounds of sugar & three pounds of salt is/ are needed.And, for this, I guess 'are' would work because 'salt' & 'sugar' always 'are' needed.
'Fifteen minutes 'is' needed for writing.
Fifteen minutes for writing & ten minutes for checking the passage 'is' (not 'are', here, I guess) needed.
Please help!
Top answer
Measure expressions like “two pounds of sugar” can be viewed as a single quantity of food, so although the quantity it denotes is plural in form, singular agreement can override the plural form in determining the form of the verb; thus we can have “Two pounds of sugar is what we need”. Note, though, that in general plural agreement is also possible. Where there are two separate items, a plural verb is normal, “Two pounds of sugar and three pounds of salt are required”, though singular agreement is also found.
- Measure expressions like “two pounds of sugar” can be viewed as a single quantity of food, so although the quantity it denotes is plural in form, singular agreement can override the plural form in determining the form of the verb; thus we can have “Two pounds of sugar is what we need”.
- Note, though, that in general plural agreement is also possible.
- Where there are two separate items, a plural verb is normal, “Two pounds of sugar and three pounds of salt are required”, though singular agreement is also found.
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Measure expressions like “two pounds of sugar” can be viewed as a single quantity of food, so although the quantity it denotes is plural in form, singular agreement can override the plural form in determining the form of the verb; thus we can have “Two pounds of sugar is what we need”. Note, though, that in general plural agreement is also possible.
Where there are two separate it
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