What fights was/were John

[Sarah-Anne23]

Do I use singular or plural? Fights is plural and John is singular. Which one does the verb have to agree with in the sentence?

Thank you.

 

[lingobingo]

You haven’t provided a sentence.

 

[Loob]

Hello Sarah-Anne - welcome to the forums!

I'm afraid neither "What fights was John?" nor "What fights were John?" makes sense.

If this is part of a longer sentence, please give us the longer sentence.

Cross-posted

 

[Glenfarclas]

Fights is plural

If "fights" is a verb, then it is not plural.

 

[Sarah-Anne23]

What fights was/were John involved in to look so bad?

Or something along those lines.

What determines if fights is a noun or verb? Sorry, I am confused.

 

[Loob]

It might help if you think of a statement rather than a question first.

Which would you choose out of:
John was involved in some fights.
or
John were involved in some fights.
?

 

[Sarah-Anne23]

It might help if you think of a statement rather than a question first.

Which would you choose out of:
John was involved in some fights.
or
John were involved in some fights.
?

I think the first one.

 

[Loob]

I agree

So you'll use the same form of the verb when you turn the statement into a question:
John was involved in some fights.
>>
What fights was John involved in?

 

[sound shift]

You're right: the first one.

Cross-posted

 

[Sarah-Anne23]

Is it because the verb has to agree with the subject?

 

[Loob]

Yes - and the subject is "John" in both
John was involved in some fights.
and
What fights was John involved in?

 

[Sarah-Anne23]

Yes - and the subject is "John" in both
John was involved in some fights.
and
What fights was John involved in?

Thank you.

What determines if fights is a verb or noun?

 

[Loob]

Well, we can think of another example:
John fights with his brother all the time.

There, fights would be a verb.

 

[lingobingo]

What determines if fights is a verb or noun?

You determine whether it’s a verb or a noun. You use it as one or the other, depending on what you want to say.

A verb is a doing word. He fights (3rd person singular verb). Fighting is what he does.

A noun is a “thing”. He hates fights (plural noun). Fights are the “things” he hates.