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Maple Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

is or are? please advise :)

1) The basic aim of the Chinese medicine and the western medicine is the same: to cure patients.

2) The basic aim of the Chinese medicine and the western medicine are the same: to cure patients.

3) The basic aims of the Chinese medicine and the western medicine are the same: to cure patients.

Which one do you like best? Please advise.Emotion: smile

Thanks a lot!
  

Top answer

3.

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13 Answers
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The first one because the verb has to agree with aim.

Aim and not aims, because you name only one.
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Incho is correct, I missed the end.
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I agree with Incho.

The basic aim of the Chinese medicine and the western medicine is the same: to cure patients.

The basic aim ... is the same: to cure patients ( that's the aim. )
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I would omit the two "the"s before "Chinese medicine" and "western medicine."
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Thank you four guys!

But couldn't 2) be read as the following?

The basic aim of the Chinese medicine and the basic aim of the western medicine are the same: to cure patients.

So, isn't 2) acceptable, too?
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"The basic aim of the Chinese medicine and the basic aim of the western medicine are the same: to cure patients." Correct, still your original 2. sentence is wrong
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I get your point. [C]
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MapleI get your point. [C]
"The basic aim of the Chinese medicine and the basic aim of the western medicine are the same: to cure patients."

Don't you think it is wordy to write 'basic aim' twice?
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