Please help a brother.
I have been trying for a while to figure this out; how to ask after two people at a time.
Do I say for instance; How is John and Mercy doing? or How are John and Mercy doing?


I will appreciate your answers with explanation please.

Ishilove,
Naptu2,
TemitopeJnr,
NwaAmaikpe,
GrammarNazi,
GrammarPolice,
And every other person with good command of English language should please answer.

Mtcheeewm...
Go ask Google abeg..
Must you advertise ur illetracy,
Una too like unnecessary attention..
Grow up mbok

Akakanfirstclass:
Mtcheeewm...
Go ask Google abeg..
Must you advertise ur illetracy,
Una too like unnecessary attention..
Grow up mbok

Something is apparently wrong with your brain, if not you won't come off foolish over a very simple question.

Show me a link from Google that treated this question and God knows I will credit you 5k.
Waiting.

I think the first one is correct

I don't know what my name is doing there tho, I will give it a shot regardless.


This hasn't really crossed my mind before but I think if I want to make that statement I will stick with the plural form.

Replace the "John and Mercy" with they and see if you could still consider "is" as an option in the case of 'How is "they" doing'?

Or imagine if John and Mercy were someone's children and you were asking after them using children instead of mentioning their respective names.
Would you pick "how is your children" over how are your children?
I very much believe it's more appropriate to use "are".
Considering 'subject and verb agreement rules'.
My opinion.

josh123:
I think the first one is correct

Please can you back it up?

TemitopeJnr:

Thanks for you input.
Still open for further debate tho.

Nlanalyst:


Please can you back it up?

The law of concord the verb must agree with the subject, if the subject is singular then the verb should be singular and vice versa

josh123:
The law of concord the verb must agree with the subject, if the subject is singular then the verb should be singular and vice versa

Sorry to interrupt sir.
What is/are the subject(s)in that question?

josh123:
The law of concord the verb must agree with the subject, if the subject is singular then the verb should be singular and vice versa

Okay, thanks man.
Still open for further debate tho.

Would go for "how is John? and how is Mercy?"
Putting 'doing' makes it unnecessarily ambiguous

JOACHINpedro:
Would go for "how is John? and how is Mercy?"
Putting 'doing' makes it unnecessarily ambiguous

The "doing" isn't really the problem.

Ask after the two of them at a time.
How is Mercy and John ??
Or How are Mercy and John?

d correct statement is *how is john and mary doing* and that's because d verb *is* is followed by a singular noun.. phenkz

Nlanalyst:
Please help a brother.
I have been trying for a while to figure this out; how to ask after two people at a time.
Do I say for instance; How is John and Mercy doing? or How are John and Mercy doing?


I will appreciate your answers with explanation please.

You would not answer by saying "John and Mercy is fine," Would you?

The Subject is asking about Two people which makes it Plural.

How are John and Mercy should be the right way of saying it.


Remember, When two things belong to the same group, it should be followed by a singular. Example:

Rice and Beans is my favourite meal.

When two things are being talked, the closest to the subject determines if it should be in plural or singular.
Example: Cat and dogs have been written on the list.
Cats and Dog has been written on the list.
Click on this link and see the rules. You don't need someone to tell you the right answer.

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/sentences/20-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement.html

Opemiposii:
d correct statement is *how is john and mary doing* and that's because d verb *is* is followed by a singular noun.. phenkz

Oookay. This makes more sense.

TemitopeJnr:

Sorry to interrupt sir.
What is/are the subject(s)in that question?

they are the verbs while the names are the subject

Nlanalyst:

The "doing" isn't really the problem.

In the context I made it is. [s]

How is Joy doing? And how is Mercy doing?

[/s]

Ask after the two of them at a time.
How is Mercy and John ??
Or How are Mercy and John?

Since this is the case, I will resort to pigin...
How John and Mercy dey na?

Kylekent59:

Ahhh! This makes a lot of sense too.

Which would I go for now?

JOACHINpedro:

In the context I made it is. [s][/s]


Since this is the case, I will resort to pigin...
How John and Mercy dey na?

Scam.
See as my guy change am totally.

Nlanalyst:


Ahhh! This makes a lot of sense too.

Which would I go for now?

See for yourself.

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/sentences/20-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement.html

josh123:
they are the verbs while the names are the subject

That means the subject is in plural form then going by this;

The law of concord the verb must agree with the subject, if the subject is singular then the verb should be singular and vice versa

Why should the verb be singular when the subject is plural??

TemitopeJnr:


That means the subject is in plural form then going by this;

Why should the verb be singular when the subject is plural??

"IS" is a singular verb while are is a plural verb

Kylekent59:

See for yourself.

https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/sentences/20-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement.html

Thanks for the link. It really didn't talk about my question directly tho. Just subject-verb agreement. Like someone up there suggested, what if the closest subject to the verb is to be considered? Won't it be more appropriate to ask 'How is John and Mercy doing?

TemitopeJnr:


That means the subject is in plural form then going by this;

Why should the verb be singular when the subject is plural??

the answer is "are" I made a mistake earlier

josh123:
"IS" is a singular verb while are is a plural verb

I know 'is' is the singular verb.
My question is this; since you agreed that the subject in his question is in plural form, why didn't you as well agree that a plural verb should be used. Which should be "How are John and Mercy?"

But you instead picked the first. I.e How is John and Mercy?
You get me sir?

josh123:
I think the first one is correct

josh123:
the answer is "are" I made a mistake earlier

Thanks so much.
Now it's clear.

Nlanalyst:

Thanks for the link. It really didn't talk about my question directly tho. Just subject-verb agreement. Like someone up there suggested, what if the closest subject to the verb is to be considered? Won't it be more appropriate to ask 'How is John and Mercy doing?

Rule 6 answered your question. Check it again. Don't rush it this time.

John and Mercy are two different people.


Let us hear from the guy below me.

The proper way to ask that question is,
'How are John and Mercy?'

The word 'are' in that sentence replaces any redundant adjective or weak verb/adverb. In this case it is 'doing'; so the 'doing' in your question becomes redundant and needless.

Kylekent59:


Rule 6 answered your question. Check it again. Don't rush it this time.

Rule 6. Two Subjects Separated by And
The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same person or thing as a whole.

Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
Spaghetti and meatballs is a great meal.


Check the bolded.
If they refer to the same person or thing as whole. Like in the case of Rice and beans, the rice and beans is a body of food on its own, two different foods being addressed and prepared as one. But my question isn't same. John and Mercy are two different bodies.
It doesn't apply.

Are is correct.there are two people being spoken about