Here Is vs. Here Are

Having trouble viewing this message? [Click here to view it online.]( To unsubscribe or change contact details, scroll to the bottom and follow the link. [GrammarBook.com]( Your #1 Source for Grammar and Punctuation Here Is vs. Here Are Many of us have probably written or spoken statements such as: Here's the keys to the car. Here are those toothpicks you asked for. Here's the ten baseball cards I owe you. Here is the article I told you about. They are common forms of expression in American English. When spoken, most of these remarks will be understood regardless of whether they include the singular verb is or the plural verb are. In daily formal writing, however, we will typically focus further on accurate use. In this discussion, we'll review the finer points of using here is and here are with precision in your writing. Why and When We Use Here Is and Here Are We use here is and here are in American English to identify the location of something or someone. By leading with "here," we also convey a greater sense of presentation or offering than if we place the adverb at the end of the sentence. Compare the following: Here are those toothpicks you asked for. Those toothpicks you asked for are here. Beyond conveying the toothpicks have been located, the first sentence also indicates they are being brought closer to the requestor. In the second sentence, having here at the end likewise informs that the toothpicks have been located. At the same time, it does not clearly suggest they are being exchanged or presented. The speaker might just be letting the other person know where to find them. Using Here Is and Here Are With Precision To determine whether to write "here is" or "here are" correctly, we will first identify the main subject of each sentence. Here's the keys to the car. Here are those toothpicks you asked for. Here's the ten baseball cards I owe you. Here is the article I told you about. We have plural subjects in the first three sentences and a singular subject in the last one. With that established, let's write the same statements with proper verb agreement. Here are the keys to the car. (The keys to the car are here.) Here are those toothpicks you asked for. (Those toothpicks you asked for are here.) Here are the ten baseball cards I owe you. (The ten baseball cards I owe you are here.) Here is the article I told you about. (The article I told you about is here.) When the subject is singular, both the [predicate]( (here is) and its [contraction]( (here's) are acceptable depending on the context and the audience. Here is the article I told you about. (formal) Here's the article I told you about. (informal) Here Is and Here Are With Collective and Countable Nouns Another point of precision for here is and here are is how to use them with collective and countable nouns. A [collective noun]( is one that represents a group or collection of people or things: group, team, crowd, bundle, bunch. [Countable nouns]( are those we can quantify: one glove, four shirts, three hundred people, four thousand signatures. We can also express concepts of quantity for countable nouns with [indefinite pronouns]( an item, few signs, some cars. By comparison, [uncountable nouns]( are ones that can't be quantified by number: night, cash, proof, energy. Because they can't be numbered, they are always singular. Examples Here is the group of letters that have to be sorted next. (group = collective noun, singular) Here are your bundles of bricks for the wagon. (bundles = collective noun, plural) Here are the forty shirts for the giveaway. (shirts = countable noun, plural) Here is the glove you said you had lost. (glove = countable noun, singular) Here's the cash for the deposit. (cash = uncountable noun, singular) Here is the proof that you were the last one to rock the vending machine. (proof = uncountable noun, singular) When we use collective nouns such as most and all, our use of here is or here are might depend on whether the noun is perceived as one unit or a plurality. An image of plurality will often be influenced by a modifying prepositional phrase. Examples Here is most of the cake mix. (Prepositional object mix influences singular verb is.) Here are most of the ingredients. (Prepositional object ingredients influences plural verb are.) Related Topics [Subject and Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns]( [Irregular Plurals]( [View and comment on this article on our website.]( [Click here to watch our video on Semicolons]( Pop Quiz Identify the correct use of here is or here are as it would apply to daily formal writing (not informal or conversational communication). 1. [Here is / Here are] the flower pots for the garden. 2. [Here is / Here are] the book you checked out from the library. 3. [Here is / Here are] all of the jokes Jerry has written in the last two years. 4. [Here's / Here is] the information Ravi needs for the product testing. 5. [Here is / Here are] most of the debris the technician cleaned from the furnace. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Lester Kaufman and Jane Straus The Authority on English Grammar! Twelfth Edition Now Available An indispensable tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders. Available in print AND as an e-Book! Over 2,000 copies are purchased every month! To order the book, simply click the link to order the book from the [GrammarBook.com]( website. [Order Your Copy Today!]( Free BONUS Quiz for You! {NAME}, because you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you get access to one of the Subscribers-Only Quizzes. Click here to take a [Who vs. Whom Quiz]( and get your scores and explanations instantly! 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Here are the flower pots for the garden. 2. Here is the book you checked out from the library. 3. Here are all of the jokes Jerry has written in the last two years. 4. Here is the information Ravi needs for the product testing. 5. Here is most of the debris the technician cleaned from the furnace. English in a Snap: 68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Share them with your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends as well! [Click here to watch](. Forward this e-newsletter to your friends and colleagues. If you received this FREE weekly e-newsletter from a friend, [click here to have it sent to you each week](. Look for more grammar tips or writing advice from [GrammarBook.com]( next week. Miss a recent newsletter? [Click here to view past editions](. 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