Subject/verbs agreement: Each cookie and muffin contain/contains nuts.

[Dolmaacha]

This is a part of my school work and I will be pleased if someone help me here.

Subject/verbs agreement.
I need to choose the verb that agrees with the subject in the following sentences.

1. Each cookie and muffin (contain/contains) nuts.

What is the correct verb for the above sentence? Is it contain or contain and can you explain me why and why not the other.

2. A number of Ontario wines (has/have) decreased in price.

Is it had or have and could you please explain why so that in future I know how to use had and have.

Thank you.

Dolma

[Alan]

Hi,

If it's school work, shouldn't you be doing it? Just look at the subject of the sentence and decide whether it's singular or plural.

Alan
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[Esl_Expert]

Hello Dolmaacha,

Basically, the word "each" focuses on the idea of "single" or "individual", so "each" is used with a singular verb.
1. Each cookie and muffin contains nuts.

When you say "a number of + plural noun", the focus is on the plural noun, so you should use the plural form of the verb:
2. A number of Ontario wines have decreased in price.

However, when you say "the number of + plural noun", the focus is on the idea of a single number, so you should use the singular form of the verb:
3. The number of wines imported from Ontario has increased.

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[Dolmaacha]

Thank you Alan. Yes, I should be doing it but I need to know how to use them. Those were just a few sentences but I have many more that I need to finish. Now that I have some ideas, I am going to complete the rest of my work.

If you see errors in my message, please correct them.

Thank you once again.

Dolma

[Dolmaacha]

Thank you ESL expert.

[Dolmaacha]

ESL Expert -

I am just assuming.

Can I say - the cookies contain nuts ?

[Torsten]

Yes, you can. The cookies (they) contain nuts. The cookie (it) contains nuts. By the way, the phrase 'explain me' does not exist in proper English. You can say 'please explain this to me', though.
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[Esl_Expert]

Hello Dolmaacha,

Yes, the word "cookies" is plural so you need the plural form of the verb, which is "contain".
- The cookies contain nuts.

If you said "each of the cookies" instead, then you would need the third person singular form of the verb, which is "contains".
- Each of the cookies contains nuts. (Each one contains nuts.)

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"Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle." ~ Walt Whitman

[Dolmaacha]

[Dolmaacha]

Hi ESL Expert,

Thank you for your help. This site is one of the easiest and best ways to learn English for people like me. Thank you once again.

Best Acha.

P.S. Is it this site is one of the easiest and best way or ways to learn English for people like me?