- So that’s eggs, peas and chips. Do you want anything else?
- So that are eggs, peas and chips. Do you want anything else?
Are these two sentences OK?
(1) is the correct form.
Although you have 3 separate components it is one meal.
Exactly, and ‘that’ always requires the singular form.[YSaerTTEW443543]
TOEIC short conversations: Two co-workers are discussing a flight[YSaerTTEW443543]
Sorry but can’t you imagine a situation when “so these are eggs, peas and chips” is well justified? For example, you’re serving eggs, peas, and chips separately in great quantities and you are not sure what s/he’ll pick as a meal. You still say “that’s…”?
Thank you.
I don’t think I’m following your train of thought, Eugene.
You talk about a situation where you use ‘so these are…’ which is not the original question. You would never use ‘so that are…’
In a situation you describe, such as working in a canteen/cafeteria serving these items separately, you would still use that’s, because you are bringing them together as one meal for that person.
Well, of course I wouldn’t use ‘so that are…’ Beees.
Yet I understood the Allifathima’s question as whether you must treat eggs, peas and chips as a whole (in which case you use “So that’s eggs, peas and chips”) or just separate items with ‘eggs’ immediately following the verb and thus justifying “these are…”
Sorry again, but I’m visualizing the process as “these are (1): eggs, (2): cheese, (3): chips”, three altogether. Would you ostracize me for my vision?..
Thank you.
You are not being ostracized Eugene, Bev is correct.
The scenario is clearly that of a waitress summing up the order that has been placed.
So, that’s eggs, cheese and chips … do you want anything else?
Kitos.
If they were placed on one plate then the waitress would say ‘this is (a meal/plate of) eggs, peas and chips.’
The only similar scenario for using ‘these are’ that I can imagine would be if the waitress had a number of different meals, including at least two meals consisting of eggs, peas and chips. When she brought them to the tables, she might say ‘These are the eggs, peas and chips’ — but ‘these are’ would only be used because there is more than one plate.
Chewing things on, I think I got it, thanks both Beees and Kitos. I didn’t happen to notice that “Do you want anything else?” which clearly indicates to the setting.
Thanks a lot for your patience.