There are...

Metamorfose · Post by **Metamorfose** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:13 pm

A fast one:

In the other forum somebody asked whether to use there is or are in the following sentence:

There is/are a desk, twelve chairs, and a board in the room.

I know the there's trend (there's a desk, twelve chairs...) my question is; if one uses there are and a list of items some in plural form, some singular, aren't this person likely to start listing out from any plural noun?

There are twelve chairs, a desk...

What do you think about it?

José

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:31 pm

Sounds like a case of proximal agreement to me. The most natural sounding sentence (to me, at least) will be one where the verb agrees with the noun phrase that comes immediately after i.e.

There is a table and four chairs.
There are four chairs and a table

There are a table and four chairs sounds odd.

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:16 pm

lolwhites wrote:Sounds like a case of proximal agreement to me. The most natural sounding sentence (to me, at least) will be one where the verb agrees with the noun phrase that comes immediately after i.e.

There is a table and four chairs.
There are four chairs and a table

There are a table and four chairs sounds odd.

I think it's based on collocation of things such as "a table and chairs". We see it as a set. We don't say normally say, "I bought four chairs and a table".

metal56 · Post by **metal56** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:16 pm

lolwhites wrote:Sounds like a case of proximal agreement to me. The most natural sounding sentence (to me, at least) will be one where the verb agrees with the noun phrase that comes immediately after i.e.

There is a table and four chairs.
There are four chairs and a table

There are a table and four chairs sounds odd.

I think it's based on collocation of things such as "a table and chairs". We see it as a set. We don't say normally say, "I bought four chairs and a table".

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 11:32 pm

Are you saying There are four chairs and a table seems odd to you? It doesn't to me, while There are a table and four chairs definitely causes me to raise an eyebrow or two.

tigertiger · Post by **tigertiger** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:26 am

If we are talking about sounds now. and common usage.

'There are a table and four chairs' SOUNDS natural to me.

But then I went to school in Wales.

Metamorfose · Post by **Metamorfose** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:54 pm

Sounds like a case of proximal agreement to me. The most natural sounding sentence (to me, at least) will be one where the verb agrees with the noun phrase that comes immediately after i.e.

There is a table and four chairs.
There are four chairs and a table

There are a table and four chairs sounds odd.

Thanks for all your responses, tigertiger I like your answer, but something tells me to go for lolwhites reasoning.

José