would you say "one and a half bananas is left on the table" or "one and a half bananas are left on the table"?
And why?
2006-12-28 07:17:12 · 12 answers · asked by zerozerozero 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
but in my english gramma book, it says "are" is not right. Even though bananas are plural, but because "one and a half bananas" is regarded as a whole phrase, then should use "is". But i don't understand, i would think "are" is right.
2006-12-28 07:27:40 · update #1
Are. Anything over one, even a fraction, is a plural.
2006-12-28 07:18:48 · answer #1 · answered by angk 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Assuming you know that a single subject requires the single verb "is" and that a plural subject requires the plural form of the verb "are", then the real question is: What part of the sentence is the subject? In this case, "bananas" is the subject. And because you are talking about more than one banana, the proper being verb would be "are". However, notice in my previous sentence, I used the verb "is" after "bananas". Thats because I was not talking about more than one banana, but instead I was giving reference to the single word used in your sentence. In this context, "bananas" is actually singular because I am referring to one word. In other words, more than one banana is plural. But one bunch of bananas is singular. Because the subject has now become the word "bunch".
2006-12-28 07:43:03 · answer #2 · answered by David M 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say "are". 1 and 1/2 bananas are more than one, and are is the proper usage for the plural. (Plural means more than one.)
2006-12-28 07:19:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would say "hey, who left a half of a banana on the table?"
I'd use "are" because it's more than one.
2006-12-28 07:19:10 · answer #4 · answered by glitterkittyy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"If the fraction refers to something that can be counted - e.g., one-twelfth of the bean plants - the verb is plural. If the fraction, decimal or otherwise, refers to something that can't be counted, the verb is singular:
Seventy-five percent of the students have voted for open-book tests.
Seventy-five percent of the student body has voted for an open-book test."
2006-12-28 08:41:50 · answer #5 · answered by Y10K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One and a haf banana's be on da table!
2006-12-28 07:20:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
i would say.. who left the half a banana, cos they should have eaten it, or at least tidied it away!!!!
2006-12-28 07:20:39 · answer #7 · answered by tiny_lou1965 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One and a half are...........because you are talking about more than one.
2006-12-28 07:27:16 · answer #8 · answered by Ann 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would use "are" because it is correct. However, the majority of the american public says it wrong.
2006-12-28 07:21:24 · answer #9 · answered by Shannon Q 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
"Are" It's more than one.
2006-12-28 07:25:03 · answer #10 · answered by Summer C 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋