Is or are?

Penforhire · 02-03-2012, 01:35 PM

I usually put my own two cents into answering grammar questions here but I'm curious about an example I stumbled over. Does this have a regional basis, is the text incorrect, or am I incorrect?

Here is the sentence which has me scratching my head -- "A good example are labels, a type of meta-data you can use to assign a colour to a piece of your draft."

I noticed this in section 2.1 of the user manual of the Windows version of Scrivener. I am thinking "are" in that sentence refers to the singular word "example" and therefore should be "is."

I know the author is from the U.K., as if "colour" wasn't enough of a hint. Is there some U.K. usage that is different from how I understand this grammar?

TIA

lila55 · 02-03-2012, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

I usually put my own two cents into answering grammar questions here but I'm curious about an example I stumbled over. Does this have a regional basis, is the text incorrect, or am I incorrect?

Here is the sentence which has me scratching my head -- "A good example are labels, a type of meta-data you can use to assign a colour to a piece of your draft."

I noticed this in section 2.1 of the user manual of the Windows version of Scrivener. I am thinking "are" in that sentence refers to the singular word "example" and therefore should be "is."

I know the author is from the U.K., as if "colour" wasn't enough of a hint. Is there some U.K. usage that is different from how I understand this grammar?

TIA

I am not a native speaker, but if you change the words in your sentence around, you would come up with: "Labels are a good example ... ". So to me "are" is referring to "labels" and therefore should be plural.
But hopefully somebody with more knowledge about grammar will be around soon and can explain.

efindel · 02-03-2012, 02:09 PM

Since the subject and object are being identified through use of the copular verb "to be", the two of them should agree in number. They do not, which is what makes this sentence sound awkward.

Examples of proper ways to rewrite the sentence:

"Good examples are labels, ..."

"A good example is a label, ..."

You could, of course, also reconstruct the sentence in other ways to avoid the problem.

EileenG · 02-03-2012, 03:01 PM

"A good example is" is correct, regardless of what comes after. The verb should agree with the noun.

If you turn the sentence around, so that it reads "Labels are a good example", then the verb has to agree with labels, which are plural.

It's one of those sentences where the correct version sounds odd, so it's often used incorrectly.

Penforhire · 02-03-2012, 04:58 PM

That's what I figured. Glad I'm not just going crazy.

Lila and Efindel, I agree the sentence is awkwardly constructed but it isn't mine to rearrange.

efindel · 02-06-2012, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

That's what I figured. Glad I'm not just going crazy.

Lila and Efindel, I agree the sentence is awkwardly constructed but it isn't mine to rearrange.

I realize that, but I thought the examples might be of help to someone else someday. :-)

AlexBell · 02-07-2012, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

I know the author is from the U.K., as if "colour" wasn't enough of a hint. Is there some U.K. usage that is different from how I understand this grammar?

TIA

No, it's got nothing to do with U.K. usage. I'm English born though I live in Australia, and that sentence immediately looked wrong to me.

VydorScope · 02-10-2012, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EileenG

"A good example is" is correct, regardless of what comes after. The verb should agree with the noun.

If you turn the sentence around, so that it reads "Labels are a good example", then the verb has to agree with labels, which are plural.

It's one of those sentences where the correct version sounds odd, so it's often used incorrectly.

Yep.

02-03-2012, 01:35 PM	#1
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Is or are? I usually put my own two cents into answering grammar questions here but I'm curious about an example I stumbled over. Does this have a regional basis, is the text incorrect, or am I incorrect? Here is the sentence which has me scratching my head -- "A good example are labels, a type of meta-data you can use to assign a colour to a piece of your draft." I noticed this in section 2.1 of the user manual of the Windows version of Scrivener. I am thinking "are" in that sentence refers to the singular word "example" and therefore should be "is." I know the author is from the U.K., as if "colour" wasn't enough of a hint. Is there some U.K. usage that is different from how I understand this grammar? TIA

02-03-2012, 02:09 PM	#3
efindel Member Posts: 20 Karma: 62828 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle Touch	Since the subject and object are being identified through use of the copular verb "to be", the two of them should agree in number. They do not, which is what makes this sentence sound awkward. Examples of proper ways to rewrite the sentence: "Good examples are labels, ..." "A good example is a label, ..." You could, of course, also reconstruct the sentence in other ways to avoid the problem.

02-03-2012, 03:01 PM	#4
EileenG Zealot Posts: 146 Karma: 7462052 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Dublin Device: My phone	"A good example is" is correct, regardless of what comes after. The verb should agree with the noun. If you turn the sentence around, so that it reads "Labels are a good example", then the verb has to agree with labels, which are plural. It's one of those sentences where the correct version sounds odd, so it's often used incorrectly.

02-03-2012, 04:58 PM	#5
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	That's what I figured. Glad I'm not just going crazy. Lila and Efindel, I agree the sentence is awkwardly constructed but it isn't mine to rearrange.