Using is and are

Question

please tell me which is correct:-Bread and butter is served at the beginning of a meal.Bread and butter are served at the beginning of a meal.Thanks in advance.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

please tell me which is correct:-

Bread and butter is served at the beginning of a meal.

Bread and butter are served at the beginning of a meal.

You can use 'is' if the items are considered as a "single unit".

eg Fish and chips is my favourite meal.

In your example, I'd say 'is'.

Clive

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymousplease tell me which is correct:-

Bread and butter is served at the beginning of a meal.

Bread and butter are served at the beginning of a meal.

Thanks in advance.

Both are correct. Your choice between is and are reveals to your listener how you are thinking about these two items.

If the picture in your mind has two separate things -- 1. bread, 2. butter -- then you tell your listener this by using are. If the picture in your mind has only one thing -- the combination of bread and butter -- then you tell your listener this by using is.

Most people where I live usually think of "bread and butter" as a single unit, so if you lived here, you would hear is more often than are in that sentence.

CJ

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