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Is it "you and your family is" or "you and your family are"?

Question
Which is correct, "you and your family IS," or "you and your family ARE"? — Pat, United States
Answer

You should use are because "you and your family" is a plural subject.

When the subject of a sentence has two parts joined by "and" it makes the subject plural, so you should use a plural verb. Below are more examples of sentence subjects with two parts.

  • Elizabeth and I are going for a walk.
  • You and your dad win a lot of races.
  • Cheryl and Sue are great friends.
  • A book and a sandwich are sitting on the table.
  • Sam and Kevin like to collect rocks.
  • Josh and Chris listen to the same kind of music.

 

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