the ... and the ... is (are)

Use is with singular subjects and are with plural subjects. The main challenge is finding the grammatical head noun when modifiers, phrases, or style choices get in the way.

Below are clear rules, compact templates, and many wrong/right pairs for work, school, and casual writing so you can fix sentences fast.

Quick answer: when to use is vs are

Match the verb to the grammatical subject: singular → is; plural → are. Ignore intervening phrases (of, with, including, appositives) and match the head noun.

If the subject refers to one thing/person → use is. Example: The report is ready.
If the subject refers to multiple things/people → use are. Example: The reports are ready.
Subjects joined by and → usually plural → use are (Jack and Jill are here).
Subjects joined by or/nor → match the nearest subject (Either the manager or the assistants are available).

Core explanation (grammar): find the head noun

The verb agrees with the head noun, not with nouns inside modifiers. Strip away phrases that start with of, with, including, or appositives, then ask: does the head noun name one thing or more than one?

Drop modifiers: The box of ornaments → box (singular) → is.
If the head noun is clearly plural → use are.
Collective nouns (team, staff) can take is or are depending on meaning and dialect; when unsure, rewrite.

Wrong: The box of photographs are on the table.
Right: The box of photographs is on the table.
Wrong: A group of volunteers is arriving early. (if you mean the volunteers)
Right: A group of volunteers are arriving early. (if you mean the individuals)

Quick rules and one-line checklist

Fast proofreading checklist: remove modifiers → identify head noun → ask "one or many?" → choose is/are. If subjects are joined by and → use are; if joined by or/nor → match the nearest noun.

Joined by and → usually plural → are.
Or/nor → verb matches the nearest subject.
"A number of" + plural → are; "The number of" → is (the number is the subject).
There/here + inversion → verb matches the noun after it: There are three options.

Wrong: A number of errors is in the report.
Right: A number of errors are in the report.
Wrong: The number of errors are shocking.
Right: The number of errors is shocking.

Common traps and real usage (style, dialect, and tricky constructions)

Watch for intervening nouns, collective nouns, or/nor constructions, inverted there/here sentences, and ambiguous quantifiers (each, every, none). For formal work, follow your organization's style guide.

Intervening nouns: ignore them (The cover of the books is torn → cover is singular).
Or/nor: match the nearest subject (Neither the manager nor the assistants are available).
Collective nouns: American English often uses singular (the committee is); British English can use plural (the committee are).
Quantifiers: Each/every + singular → is (Every student is required).

Wrong: The box of ornaments are broken.
Right: The box of ornaments is broken.
Wrong: Neither the manager nor the assistants is available.
Right: Neither the manager nor the assistants are available.
Usage (British): The team are split on the decision. (emphasizes individuals)
Usage (American): The team is meeting at 9 a.m. (unit as a whole)

Polish faster with an assistant

Frequent is/are errors slow drafting. Use a short checklist, a few rewrite templates, and an automatic checker to speed editing and reduce careless mistakes.

A good grammar checker flags likely subject-verb mismatches and offers instant rewrites you can accept or adapt.

Fix your sentence: rewrite help and quick templates

If the subject is unclear, rewrite. These templates make the subject explicit or avoid tricky constructions.

Template A (make subject explicit): Replace a collective noun with its members - "The committee members are..." instead of "The committee is...".
Template B (use numbers): "There are [number] [noun]..." when listing plural items.
Template C (change structure): Turn a phrase into a clause - "Because the files are missing, we cannot proceed."

Rewrite:
Wrong: There's lots of data to review.
Fixed: There is a lot of data to review. Or: There are many data points to review.
Rewrite:
Wrong: The project team are behind schedule.
Fixed: The project team is behind schedule. Or: Project team members are behind schedule.
Rewrite:
Wrong: The number of participants are high.
Fixed: The number of participants is high.
Step: Fix method: (1) Delete modifiers. (2) Replace subject with "one"/"two" test. (3) Choose is/are or rewrite.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just a phrase. Context usually makes the right answer clearer.

Examples: copyable wrong/right pairs and category-specific fixes

Six clear wrong/right pairs, plus three work, three school, and three casual examples (each with wrong + fixed), and three quick rewrites you can use immediately.

Wrong: The cats is playing in the garden.
Right: The cats are playing in the garden.
Wrong: My friends is coming over for dinner.
Right: My friends are coming over for dinner.
Wrong: Several files is missing from the folder.
Right: Several files are missing from the folder.
Wrong: The results from the tests is surprising.
Right: The results from the tests are surprising.
Wrong: The people in the queue is upset.
Right: The people in the queue are upset.
Wrong: The books is on the shelf.
Right: The books are on the shelf.

Work - Wrong: Our clients is waiting for the update.
Right: Our clients are waiting for the update.
Work - Wrong: The sales figures is higher than expected.
Right: The sales figures are higher than expected.
Work - Wrong: The project team are missing milestones. (American audience)
Right: The project team is missing milestones. Or: Project team members are missing milestones.
School - Wrong: Several chapters is missing from the syllabus.
Right: Several chapters are missing from the syllabus.
School - Wrong: The homework is due tomorrow, and the students is anxious.
Right: The homework is due tomorrow, and the students are anxious.
School - Wrong: The results of the experiment is inconclusive.
Right: The results of the experiment are inconclusive.
Casual - Wrong: There's lots of people at the party.
Right: There are lots of people at the party.
Casual - Wrong: My friends is picking me up soon.
Right: My friends are picking me up soon.
Casual - Wrong: Looks like the cookies in the jar is gone.
Right: Looks like the cookies in the jar are gone.
Quick rewrite: Wrong: There's many reasons to apply.
Fixed: There are many reasons to apply.
Quick rewrite: Wrong: The cookies in the jar is gone.
Fixed: The cookies in the jar are gone.
Quick rewrite: Wrong: The committee are split on next steps.
Fixed: Committee members are split on next steps.

Memory trick and short practice drills

Two quick memory aids and short drills you can do in a few minutes to reduce mistakes.

One/Two test: replace the subject with "one" and "two". If "one" sounds right → is; if "two" sounds right → are. Example: "books" → "two books" → are.
Delete modifiers: remove "of the", "including", "with..." to reveal the head noun before testing.
Daily drill: correct five real sentences from your inbox or notes using the checklist.

Practice: Sentence: A pack of batteries is missing. Delete "of batteries" → "a pack" → one pack → is.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Fixing the subject helps avoid pronoun agreement errors (they vs it), contraction traps (there's vs there are), and quantifier mismatches (each, every, none).

Each/every + singular noun takes is: Every student is expected to attend.
Contraction trap: "There's" is common in speech with plurals; use "There are" in formal writing.
Pronoun agreement: replace the noun with a pronoun to check number (The teams → they; The team → it).

Wrong: There's dozens of reasons to apply.
Right: There are dozens of reasons to apply.
Wrong: Each of the students are ready.
Right: Each of the students is ready.

Hyphenation, spacing, and punctuation traps

Hyphenated compounds, commas, and parentheses can obscure the head noun. Remove extras to reveal the underlying subject and then choose is/are.

Pluralize the main word in hyphen compounds: two mothers-in-law are coming.
Parenthetical phrases and appositives can hide the subject - delete them to check the head noun.
Spacing and contractions: expand "there's" when proofreading long documents to avoid missing plural subjects.

Wrong: My sister-in-law is arriving tomorrow. (if you mean multiple)
Right: My sisters-in-law are arriving tomorrow.
Wrong: There's three emails waiting.
Right: There are three emails waiting.

FAQ

When should I use 'is' vs 'are'?

Use 'is' with singular subjects and 'are' with plural subjects. Find the grammatical head noun (remove modifiers). If it refers to one → is; more than one → are.

Is 'there's' acceptable with plural nouns?

Common in speech, but avoid it in formal writing. Replace "there's" with "there are" when the subject is plural.

How do I handle collective nouns like 'team' or 'staff'?

If you mean the group as a unit, use singular (the team is). If you mean the members, use plural or rephrase (team members are). Consider your audience's dialect.

What's the difference between 'a number of' and 'the number of'?

'A number of' + plural noun takes are (A number of errors are listed). 'The number of' + plural noun treats 'number' as the singular subject and takes is (The number of errors is high).

Will a grammar checker catch every is/are mistake?

A good checker finds many errors and suggests fixes, but it can't always judge style choices or dialect. Use it to flag likely problems, then apply the head-noun test and rewrite templates for final judgment.

Check one sentence now

If a sentence feels wrong, paste it into a grammar tool to see subject highlighting and suggested fixes. Then apply the one-line checklist above to confirm the correction.

For fast editing, keep a short saved list of the templates above and paste them into drafts to avoid repeated guessing.