a grammar question: is OR are?

[hanzj]

Which sentence is correct?
A) The exception are tall children and fat ones.
B) The exception is tall children and fat ones.

[red_Marvin]

the exeptions are tall children and fat ones maybe?

[Mr Egg]

B is gramatically correct.

It would be A if it was


the exceptions are tall children and fat ones.

[hanzj]

What if "exception" stayed singular, without any "s" on the end?

[23meg]

Then you could state only one of the two examples after it.

[hanzj]

I see.
(This thread is now marked Solved)
(All commenters' posts are marked helpful)
( 8-) )

[dabear]

Does IS/ARE point to the object or subject?

Which is the correct one?


The exception is/or a tall child and fat one.

[23meg]

To the object.

[fuscia]

what about normal kids?

[Ramses de Norre]

This one is totally correct I think:
The exception is tall children and fat ones.

And you can state more things (like two in the example), because both are then part of "the exception". It's not like the exception can only be one thing.

[henriquemaia]

In Portuguese, a phrase like that would be correct in both instances, since the verb can concord with either the subject or the complement.

[tagra123]

If both items are one exception then the following sentence correct.

"The exception is tall children and fat children."

If both items are two distinct exceptions then the following sentence is correct.

"The exceptions are tall children and fat children"

[aysiu]

In principle, what tagra123 says is true. However, I can't conceive of a case wherein tall children and fat children together could be one exception.

The proper expression is most likely The exceptions are tall children and fat children.