# My favourite food is/are...



## myrys

Hi people! This time I'll try to explain my question in English, so....please, correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm learning English! ok?
My question is: Is it right?... to say: My favourite food are meat and vegetables 
                                         or.....   My favourite food is meat and vegetables 


I've seen some examples too, like : My favourite food are apples.
And I want to know if is there a rule ....
Thank you a lot!





>


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## Chris K

"Food" is a singular, so it has to be followed by "is." To use "are" you need the plural.

_My favorite food*s are* X and Y.
My favorite food *is* X._


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## myrys

Chris K said:


> "Food" is a singular, so it has to be followed by "is." To use "are" you need the plural.
> 
> _My favorite food*s are* X and Y.
> My favorite food *is* X._



You used "food" like a countable noun(foods)...but in the dictionary food appears like an unncontable noun.


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## Chris K

myrys said:


> You used "food" like a countable noun(foods)...but in the dictionary food appears like an unncontable noun.



It can be either. If you use it as an uncountable you have to follow it with the singular. This is true even if the object includes "and":

_My favorite food is macaroni and cheese._


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## myrys

sorry...I wanted to say :uncountable !


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## myrys

Ok, so we can say : My favourite food is macaroni and cheese
                           my favourite food is meat and spaghetti
                           my favourite foods are rice and chicken

Is it right???? //////// Because you said that the verb "to be" depends on the subject (food----is / foods----are)
I'm trying to catch your idea...Or I don't know if probably you wanted to say "macaroni and cheese" as the whole dish (macaroni with cheese).In this case we have to think in an only one favourite food, so it have to be singular.
Thanks for your answer!


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## Chris K

myrys said:


> Ok, so we can say : My favourite food is macaroni and cheese
> my favourite food is meat and spaghetti
> my favourite foods are rice and chicken
> 
> Is it right???? //////// Because you said that the verb "to be" depends on the subject (food----is / foods----are)
> I'm trying to catch your idea...Or I don't know if probably you wanted to say "macaroni and cheese" as the whole dish (macaroni with cheese).In this case we have to think in an only one favourite food, so it have to be singular.
> Thanks for your answer!



Exactly. Macaroni and cheese is one "food." So all of these are correct:

My favourite food is macaroni and cheese
                           my favourite food is meat and spaghetti (if you consider "meat and spaghetti" to be one dish)
                           my favourite foods are rice and chicken


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## myrys

Ok, I think I catched your concept... thanks !!!


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## Chameleon01

It's been long time since this but I hope someone can be of help right now.
What about when the food or meal we're talking about is often used in plural just like '_*beans*_'?

Would it be 'My favorite food *is* beans'
or
'My favorite food *are* beans'?


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## Agró

'My favorite food *is* beans'


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## Forero

If the subject is _food_, count or noncount, it is singular, so the verb has to be singular, no matter what complements the verb.


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## Santidp

Hi! I know this is old, but I have another question.
What about sandwich/sandwiches? It is a countable noun. I'd say "*my favourite food is sandwiches*" but it still sounds a little odd to me.
Can anyone tell me which of these options is the right one? Thanks in advance:
1) My favourite food is sandwiches.
2) My favourite food are sandwiches.
3) My favourite food is sandwich.  

PD: I wouldn't even consider 3, it sounds awful]


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## Forero

Santidp said:


> Hi! I know this is old, but I have another question.
> What about sandwich/sandwiches? It is a countable noun. I'd say "*my favourite food is sandwiches*" but it still sounds a little odd to me.
> Can anyone tell me which of these options is the right one? Thanks in advance:
> 1) My favourite food is sandwiches.
> 2) My favourite food are sandwiches.
> 3) My favourite food is sandwich.
> 
> PD: I wouldn't even consider 3, it sounds awful]


The subject is still _food_, singular, so the verb must be singular.

1 is right.
2 is wrong and sounds really odd.
3 is wrong. The nearest thing that might work is:

4) "My favourite food is the sandwich."

Singular nouns with no plural form (aka mass nouns, singular non-count nouns) look like 3, but they are really a different matter:

5) "My favourite food is applesauce."


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## gengo

Santidp said:


> 1) My favourite food is sandwiches.



The rule in English is simple:  the subject must agree with the verb in number.

That rule also applies when we switch the subject and object:  _Sandwiches *are* my favorite food._

Even native speakers often become confused on this topic, despite the simplicity of the rule.  You will therefore hear NESs say things like "My favorite kind of movie are thrillers."


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## Azarosa

gengo said:


> The rule in English is simple:  the subject must agree with the verb in number.
> 
> That rule also applies when we switch the subject and object:  _Sandwiches *are* my favorite food._
> 
> Even native speakers often become confused on this topic, despite the simplicity of the rule.  You will therefore hear NESs say things like "My favorite kind of movie are thrillers."


Perdón, gengo, y pregunto de puro ignorante, ¿pero no podría suceder que el sujeto pueda ser permutable con el verbo _to be _por ser predicativo, dependiendo de la posición  que ocupe?? "_Thrillers are my favorite ..._"? En español es posible.


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## elroy

To make it crystal clear:

“my favorite food are” is NEVER correct.

It’s that simple. 

Is it different in Spanish?  Is “Mi comida favorita son [los frijoles]” correct?


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## gengo

Azarosa said:


> Perdón, gengo, y pregunto de puro ignorante, ¿pero no podría suceder que el sujeto pueda ser permutable con el verbo _to be _por ser predicativo, dependiendo de la posición  que ocupe?? "_Thrillers are my favorite ..._"? En español es posible.



The underlined part is correct because "thrillers" is the subject and is plural, and therefore takes a plural verb.


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## elroy

Azarosa said:


> "_Thrillers are my favorite ..._"?



In English we consider “thrillers” the subject here, not a fronted predicate.

[cross-posted]


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## gengo

elroy said:


> Is it different in Spanish?  Is “Mi comida favorita son [los frijoles]” correct?



Yes on both.

Here is a forum where this question is addressed.


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## Azarosa

gengo said:


> The underlined part is correct because "thrillers" is the subject and is plural, and therefore takes a plural verb.


Perdón, sigo sin entender, en su post anterior usted marcó con una cruz (copio): "  My favorite kind of movies are thrillers.", y justamente mi pregunta es sobre el número del verbo dependiendo del orden de los constituyentes; entonces: "My favorite kind of movies is thrillers"  y Thrillers are my favorite kind of movies ... ¿no es así?


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## Azarosa

Ah...ok, ya veo; es diferente en español. Gracias.


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## elroy

Thank you.  I had never thought about this before.  When I said it to myself, “Mi comida favorita es los frijoles” sounded totally awful to me , but since I never consciously learned this as a rule, I thought I’d double-check.  I guess I must’ve just unconsciously internalized it through exposure.


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## gengo

Azarosa said:


> ...mi pregunta es sobre el número del verbo dependiendo del orden de los constituyentes; entonces: "My favorite kind of movies is thrillers"  y Thrillers are my favorite kind of movies ... ¿no es así?



Es así, precisamente.


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## Azarosa

elroy said:


> Thank you.  I had never thought about this before.  When I said it to myself “Mi comida favorita es los frijoles” sounded totally awful to me , but since I never consciously learned this as a rule, I thought I’d double-check.  I guess I must’ve just unconsciously internalized it through exposure.


Sí, sí, elroy, tiene toda la razón del mundo. La abuela no solo está _lerdeja_ hoy, sino que no le sube el agua al tanque. A veces pasa. Mil disculpas; tenía otros contextos en mente.


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## gengo

gengo said:


> You will therefore hear NESs say things like "My favorite kind of movie are thrillers."





Azarosa said:


> entonces: "My favorite kind of movies is thrillers"  y Thrillers are my favorite kind of movies ... ¿no es así?



Ah, I just noticed that you changed the "movie" that I wrote to "movies."  Strictly speaking, the subject is "kind," which is singular and takes a singular verb.  However, especially in colloquial speech, it may be acceptable to use a plural verb after "kind of {plural noun}."  I'd say it's more of a gray area.

My favorite kind of movie are thrillers. 
My favorite kind of movies are thrillers. (probably OK)
My favorite kind of movie is thrillers.


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## Azarosa

gengo said:


> Ah, I just noticed that you changed the "movie" that I wrote to "movies."  Strictly speaking, the subject is "kind," which is singular and takes a singular verb.  However, especially in colloquial speech, it may be acceptable to use a plural verb after "kind of {plural noun}."  I'd say it's more of a gray area.
> 
> My favorite kind of movie are thrillers.
> My favorite kind of movies are thrillers. (probably OK)
> My favorite kind of movie is thrillers.


Entendí todo, mil gracias, gengo.


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