Hi, I'm trying to understand when to use "are or is" and "have or has."
I've been reading grammar books to improve my writing issues.
On MS Word I typed these 2 sentences:
1) Scoring and dribbling is important.
2) Scoring, dribbling, and assisting is important.
The first sentence was error free. But MS Word is telling me I should use are instead of is with the second sentence. Is there a rule that if you use 3 verbs you have to use are instead of is?
Also can someone supply a tip or suggest a source that would help me with these specific writing issues?
When to use "are or is" and "have or has."
Moderator: EC
-
- Member
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat Oct 19, 2013 2:58 am
- Status: Learner of English
- Joe
- Admin/Teacher
- Posts: 1797
- Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2003 6:56 am
- Status: Teacher of English
- Location: England
Re: When to use "are or is" and "have or has."
It all depends on how you subjectively "view" the subjects. If you view them as a single item, you can use "is" (singular).
Bread and butter is my favourite food.
If you view them as separate items, you use "are" (plural):
Bread and rice are not expensive.
For your examples I don't think MS Word is intelligent enough to know what you are thinking. And nor am I. I'm guessing you're talking about football, though I'm not sure. And while I suppose that scoring and dribbling are important activities in football, I'm not sure that they go together. So I would probably prefer:
Scoring and dribbling are important.
Same for #2:
Scoring, dribbling, and assisting are important.
Trying to find a sports example that might be considered singular - because you view it as "one" - I come up with:
Warm up and stretching is important.
Bread and butter is my favourite food.
If you view them as separate items, you use "are" (plural):
Bread and rice are not expensive.
For your examples I don't think MS Word is intelligent enough to know what you are thinking. And nor am I. I'm guessing you're talking about football, though I'm not sure. And while I suppose that scoring and dribbling are important activities in football, I'm not sure that they go together. So I would probably prefer:
Scoring and dribbling are important.
Same for #2:
Scoring, dribbling, and assisting are important.
Trying to find a sports example that might be considered singular - because you view it as "one" - I come up with:
Warm up and stretching is important.
"We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood :-| " — Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood
eBooks: English Prepositions List | Essential Business Words | Learn English in Seven
eBooks: English Prepositions List | Essential Business Words | Learn English in Seven