0
HSS Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
What Is or What Are?
You say, "Who is in the room?" even though you know there are a lot of people there. Not "Who are in the room?"
Now, suppose somebody says to you "Come with me! I've seen a bunch of drinks on the table. We are thirsty." You know there are a lot of kinds of drinks there. How would you respond, "What is on the table?" or "What are on the table?"?
Many thanks in advance.
Hiro
Sendai, Japan
Now, suppose somebody says to you "Come with me! I've seen a bunch of drinks on the table. We are thirsty." You know there are a lot of kinds of drinks there. How would you respond, "What is on the table?" or "What are on the table?"?
Many thanks in advance.
Hiro
Sendai, Japan
Top answer
" (or more naturally, "What's") unless you are making a specific reference to a plural. What are those things up there? ("those things" being plural)
- " (or more naturally, "What's") unless you are making a specific reference to a plural.
- What are those things up there?
- ("those things" being plural)
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
18 Answers
0
In that situation, you would say "What is..." (or more naturally, "What's") unless you are making a specific reference to a plural.
What are those things up there? ("those things" being plural)
What are those things up there? ("those things" being plural)
00
Hi, GG.
Thanks. "What" in your last sentence is a complement. I was trying to look into situations where "what" is used as a subject.
"Who are they?" (who as a complement) is a totally okay sentence, but "Who are in the room?" (who as a subject) is not.
I was wondering "What are on the desk" (what as a subject) could be possible.
Hiro
Thanks. "What" in your last sentence is a complement. I was trying to look into situations where "what" is used as a subject.
"Who are they?" (who as a complement) is a totally okay sentence, but "Who are in the room?" (who as a subject) is not.
I was wondering "What are on the desk" (what as a subject) could be possible.
Hiro
00
No, that would also be "What is on the desk?" (And parallel to the one above, "What are the items on your desk?")
00
You are seeing some unknown different kinds of objects gathering, looking through a microscope.
Would you say "What's gathering?" or "What're gathering?"?
Thanks, GG.
Hiro
Would you say "What's gathering?" or "What're gathering?"?
Thanks, GG.
Hiro
00
Actually, you'd probably say "What's that?"
By the way, your sentence should have the "Looking through a microscope" in the front, immediately before "you." Otherwise it might appear that those gathering objects are looking through the microscope.
By the way, your sentence should have the "Looking through a microscope" in the front, immediately before "you." Otherwise it might appear that those gathering objects are looking through the microscope.
00
Yes, indeed.
Looking through the microscope, the butterflies were beautiful.
(Sounds like something from a Gary Larson cartoon!)
As for the who and what, I'd say the rule is the same for both, i.e., used as a subject they always take a singular verb. I understand the "things gathering" example is a way of trying (desperately, perhaps
Looking through the microscope, the butterflies were beautiful.
(Sounds like something from a Gary Larson cartoon!)
As for the who and what, I'd say the rule is the same for both, i.e., used as a subject they always take a singular verb. I understand the "things gathering" example is a way of trying (desperately, perhaps
00
Thinking really hard, can you come up with any example at all in which "what" is used as a subject and a singular verb follows it?
Hiro
Hiro
00
0
0
Related Questions