2007-08-22 23:47:00 · 6 answers · asked by ~~You Who~~ 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
It would be 7 and 5 are 12.
2007-08-22 23:55:00 · answer #1 · answered by dkrgrand 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know the joke, but you slightly mis-wrote it.
BOTH "7 and 5 are 11" and "7 and 5 is 11" are acceptable, if you are working in base eleven! (The "is" vs. "are" may depend on what is being emphasized. I believe that more prefer "is" since this form of statement is generally short for something like "The TOTAL of X and Y is Z". That is you are emphasizing the total, as a unit, not the each individual item.)
On the other hand, NEITHER is correct if it is base ten (or any other).
Your problem is this -- though in ordinary use "11" is the equivalent of "eleven", mathematically it is a sign that can be used to indicate one more than the 'base number' of ANY number system.
Thus, in base 2, the value of "11" is THREE.
in base 3, it is FOUR
base 4 - five
base 5 - six
base 6 - seven
base 7 - eight
base 8 -nine
base 9 -ten
base 10 - eleven
base 11- twelve
etc
So, to make your statements unequivocally incorrect you must write out the WORD "eleven".
2007-08-23 09:06:01 · answer #2 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess this is all revolving around not the singular v plural business but the correct answer to the sum...summed up succinctly by ' dkrgrand' : It is 7 and 5 are 12!
2007-08-23 07:03:09 · answer #3 · answered by anigma 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's one of those statements where either could be considered corect depending on whether you are assuming the verb relates to the subjects or the object.
2007-08-23 06:56:55 · answer #4 · answered by Vernix Lanugo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
So sorry, but seven and five equal twelve, not eleven. In an equation you would say seven plus five is twelve.
2007-08-23 07:42:15 · answer #5 · answered by LK 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One is, two are. The "is" is singular, and "are" is plural, and since there are two numbers, I would say that "are" is correct.
2007-08-23 06:56:00 · answer #6 · answered by Barb Outhere 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋