Which one of these sentences is correct?

C

c.g._eads

Veteran
Which one of these sentences is correct and why?

"All that’s left is a small desk and chair next to the window."

"All that’s left are a small desk and chair next to the window."

It's "are", right? My friend is saying it's "is". I think he's crazy.
 
Well, my english SUCKS, but I'd say 'is' refers to singular, 'are' refers to plural.
So it 'sounds' like two singulars as in...

"All that’s left is a small desk and chair next to the window."

That still sounds wrong though. Maybe...

"All that’s left is a small desk and a chair next to the window."

Don't have a clue though. :)
 
I think you use "is" with "all" if you're referring to everything, in this case you are referring to everything so you'd go with "is".
 
Ok, here's my take on it.

Question: What's all left?

Answer: All that's left is a chair and a table by the window.

When I say it out loud, that's what I would say. But I am from the souf. Sorry.
 
Both of them passed the MS Word spelling and grammer check (not that that means anything).

No matter which way I say it, I have to add "a" in from of chair as in...

"All that’s left is a small desk and a chair next to the window."
 
"that's" = "that is" which is why this sounds strange... using "are" in the second part is correct, but the verb doesn't agree with "that's".

"All that are left are a small desk and a chair next to the window." Correct, but doesn't really flow.

All is tough to work with in this situation... "all" is singular or plural depending on the situation, but doesn't seem to be able to be used both ways in similar situations. "All is forgiven"... "all is calm"... "all are here".

If you want to use "all", "All that’s left is a small desk and chair next to the window." sounds best even though it's not quite correct. Otherwise, "the only things left are...

maybe "all that remain are..." if that works for you...
 
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Cryogenic Filmworks said:
Both of them passed the MS Word spelling and grammer check (not that that means anything).

No matter which way I say it, I have to add "a" in from of chair as in...

"All that’s left is a small desk and a chair next to the window."
Click to expand...

I wouldn't trust MS Word as the final authority... anyway, if both the desk and chair are near the window, the added "a" is not called for. "Desk and chair" becomes a unit of sorts. With the added "a", the desk is NOT near the window.
 
Hi,

As a pronoun, it has to refer to the antecedent in number. It can be either. In this case, since the chair and desk are both referred to in the sentence, the number is plural.

Are wins.
 
MS Word will allow some colossal clustef*cks to get by. I recently deliberatedly mangled this sentence...

"We were driving down the street way too fast, trying to lose the cops, when all of a sudden their tire blew out!

...to see what MSW would allow, and this version passed:

"Were diving don the street weigh to fest, tying too loose that cop's, when al if the sodden they're tar blue out!"

All actual words correctly spelled, just not in the right context. Kinda points out some of the AI limitations there...
 
Neither of the original sentences is correct. Expand the contraction.

1. "All that is left is a small desk and chair next to the window."

"is" cannot have as a subject "a small desk and a chair", as in "a small desk and a chair is all that's left" or "a small desk and a chair is in the room." NO!

2. "All that is left are a small desk and chair next to the window."

The second half of the sentence is fine, "are" is fine, but "that's" is not. "All that is left are a desk and chair". "is" and "are" conflict.

You can say "All that is left is some furniture". You can say "All that are left are a desk and chair".
But you can't say "all that is left are..." or "all that is left is two things".


Part of the problem is that "All that's left" is kind of a common phrase, while "All that are left" doesn't have quite the panache.
 
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The "and" joins the two objects. They are treated as one. So "is" refers to the compounded object and IS the correct form. There is a chair and a small desk. The and groups them and there is only the one group.
 
So you'd say "A chair and a small desk is in my office"? "A chair and a small desk is near the window"?
 
"All that’s left are a small desk and chair next to the window."

The main sentence is "All are a small desk and chair next to the window." Which is grammatically correct, although not a common way of speaking. 'that is left' is a subordinate clause. the subject of the 'is' is the 'that', not the 'all'. so there is no conflict between 'is' and 'are'.

The 'are' is correct.

compare: "the man whom we met is seven feet tall" This is the same sentence structure.
 
c.g._eads said:
Mike,

But you're saying that "is" would work as well?
Click to expand...

Hi,

Some pronouns like 'all' simply take the either plural verbs or singular verbs depending upon whether their antecedents are clearly identified as plural or singular or plural.

All is lost - singular.
There were a lot of candies before he came; all are gone - plural.

No. Is would not work.

It isn't optional for the writer to pick a direction; like baseball, there are rules. The antecedent is clearly composed of two things the chair and desk - plural. You wouldn't say, the chair and desk is at the window.

All are at the window.
 
capitanfracassa said:
compare: "the man whom we met is seven feet tall" This is the same sentence structure.
Click to expand...

That's not the same sentence structure; your example has a different subject in the subordinate clause. This has the same strucure as:

"All that was left by John was a table and a chair".

When you say "All that's left is a table and chair", the "All" serves as the subject of both the main and subordinate clauses.
 
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