Hey! Which one is grammatically correct: 'This is John and Mary' or 'These are John and Mary'? I would originally go for 'These are John and Mary' as we are talking about two people. But in Macmilla

Elena Kiseleva

Hey! Which one is grammatically correct: 'This is John and Mary' or 'These are John and Mary'? I would originally go for 'These are John and Mary' as we are talking about two people. But in Macmillan textbook I've found an example of the first sentence. Thus, the question. Are both options equally correct? If not, why? Thank you in advance :)

Jan 17, 2021 2:35 PM

Answers · 9

This is John and Mary. I don’t know why, I just know I’m a Native English speaker and this is what we say. Perhaps because we introduce them each as individuals and use the singular “this”. It’s not They, unless it was a question specifically about their names and other people’s names. “This is Peter. This is John and Mary.” But “these are my parents”.

January 17, 2021