Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Noun-verb agreement, is/are
What is the right form:
"A good example is cars that run on diesel"
"A good example are cars that run in diesel"
I think I was taught that the second would be correct, because when you turn the sentence around you get "Cars that run on diesel are a good example", but now I have my doubts.
Thanks
"A good example is cars that run on diesel"
"A good example are cars that run in diesel"
I think I was taught that the second would be correct, because when you turn the sentence around you get "Cars that run on diesel are a good example", but now I have my doubts.
Thanks
Top answer
Don't turn the sentence around. The subject ('example') is singular, so the verb is singular ('is'). This is the correct grammar.
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Don't turn the sentence around. The subject ('example') is singular, so the verb is singular ('is'). This is the correct grammar.
If the notional discord bothers you (as it does me), then recast the sentence:
A good example is a car that runs on diesel
A good example is cars running on diesel
Good examples are cars that run on diesel
If the notional discord bothers you (as it does me), then recast the sentence:
A good example is a car that runs on diesel
A good example is cars running on diesel
Good examples are cars that run on diesel
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