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Time and convenience (is/are) turning friends and acquaintances away from our doors.

Which is better in this context, 'is' or 'are'? Can the answer to this question be 'is' based on notional agreement?

herisson
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Deepam
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  • Deepam, if you are still there, could you edit your question to add some more information about what this sentence is supposed to mean? I find it a bit puzzling. Is it something like "We have been forced to turn friends and acquaintances from our doors because that saves time and is more convenient for us"? – herisson Sep 21 '17 at 02:26

1 Answers1

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Are

I have not encountered in difference in is and are except for is being singular noun/s and are being for plural noun/s. And if there is some difference I don't know about, that would mean that there is a confliction/paradox between the usage of is and are.

The nouns combine to form like a plural combined noun.

  • The OP refers to notional agreement; a topic that has come up on this site before in the following questions: "Verb agreement in 'Where is the Messiah and his Kingdom?'", "Agreement With Compound Subjects Joined by And" – herisson Sep 21 '17 at 02:17
  • @sumelic I don't see how that disproves my point, time and convince aren't referring to 1 thing but rather two things. That "Bangers and mash" example was referring to one thing. –  Sep 21 '17 at 02:22
  • Hmm, I wasn't really trying to disprove your answer, just add more information since you said "I have not encountered in difference in is and are except for is being singular noun/s and are being for plural noun/s. And if there is some difference I don't know about..." I'm not sure actually what "time and convenience" really means in the OP's sentence. I will leave a comment asking for clarification – herisson Sep 21 '17 at 02:24
  • @user58712: just like how you argue that "bangers and mash" is referring to one thing, "time and convenience" can be argued to be "[the consideration of] time and convenience", which is then also referring to one thing (the consideration). – Flater Sep 21 '17 at 11:32