Ask the Editor
Question
Which is correct, "you and your family IS," or "you and your family ARE"?
—
Pat
,
United States
Answer
You should use are because "you and your family" is a plural subject.
When the subject of a sentence has two parts joined by "and" it makes the subject plural, so you should use a plural verb. Below are more examples of sentence subjects with two parts.
- Elizabeth and I are going for a walk.
- You and your dad win a lot of races.
- Cheryl and Sue are great friends.
- A book and a sandwich are sitting on the table.
- Sam and Kevin like to collect rocks.
- Josh and Chris listen to the same kind of music.
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