is it "15 minutes IS allowed to each speaker or 15 minutes ARE allowed to each speaker"?

Question

plz give the correct usage and kindly do so after reference

Answer 1

"15 minutes ARE given to each speaker." (you can't allow minutes to do anything).

or

"Each speaker IS allowed 15 minutes."

but "15 minutes ARE allocated to each speaker." (you can't allow minutes to do anything).

or

"Each speaker IS allowed 15 minutes."

but free_your_fancy is correct. Both of these use passive voice, which, while not ungrammatical, is weak writing.

Answer 2

Neither -- it's an extremely passive, poorly written sentence.

Each speaker may have the floor for 15 minutes.

or

Each may speak for 15 minutes.

or

Each speaker has 15 minutes to speak.

those are just a few of many possibilities.

Answer 3

well the girl before me took the best options, but out of yours, ARE is proper since the minutes are plural. If you just said, One minute IS allowed to each person, that's ok because one minute is not plural.

Answer 4

technically "to each speaker" is not good grammar...however, I digress..

Indefinite pronouns--each, every either, neither, are always singular. When they are used as subjects or as adjectives modifying subjects as a singular verb is required.

ex: Each employees is responsible.............. see how


a good rule to follow (doesn't always apply) use IS when the real subject is singular....and use ARE when plural.

still your sentence is funky...with the "to each speaker" maybe its better if I had read the whole thing.

Answer 5

The truth is as long as people can understand you, then there's nothing wrong with the sentence. In this case, both sentences make sense and no one would be confused whether you say IS or ARE, so they both work.

Answer 6

are....because minutes is plural...so ARE