Children “is” or Children “are”: Singular or Plural?

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Most people grow up learning that the word “is” should be used when talking about one person or thing, and the word “are” should be used when talking about more than one person or thing.

However, many people are unsure of which word to use when it comes to “children.”

The quick answer is that “child” is a singular noun and “children” is a plural noun. “Children” is a plural noun even though it doesn’t have an -s. Even so, we must agree with the subject of the sentence (children) and use “are.”

Read on for examples of the word “children” in a sentence so you can apply your knowledge correctly.

Children: A Collective Noun

“Children” is a collective noun. A collective noun refers to a group of people or things, with other common examples including “family” and “army.”

When dealing with a collective noun such as “children,” we must look for subject-verb agreement. “Children” is a plural noun. “Child” is the singular noun.

Children: Is or Are?

In general, when you are talking about one child, you should use the word “is.” For example, “My child is four years old.”

However, when you are talking about more than one child, you should use the word “are.” For example, “My children are four and six years old.”

Sentences with Children

Take a look at some other examples when the subject is “children.”

• Children are wonderful creatures.
• The children are playing in the park.
• The children are very tired.
• The children love the zoo.
• The children do their homework.

Confused how to make “children” possessive? Read our post for the answer: Childrens or Children’s or Childrens’: Which is Correct?

Important point: We must change the verb “be” so it agrees with the subject.

Here is where there might be some confusion about whether we use “is” or “are.”

Take the sentence:

• “The idea of children not going to school is a crime, in my opinion.”

Explanation: Here, we say “is” because the subject “idea” is singular. (The idea… is…)

• “Christmas is a time when children receive presents.”

In this sentence, “Christmas” is the subject. Therefore, we pair it with “is” as “Christmas” is singular.

• The definition of children is a group of young people.

“Definition” is the subject of the sentence, which is singular, and “is” agrees with it.

Therefore, as long as there is a subject-verb agreement, the answer is grammatically correct!

Common Questions

Some quick, bite-sized information if you are still unsure:

In Summary

If you are still unsure which word to use, a good rule of thumb is to remember that “is” is used for singular nouns and “are” is used for plural nouns.

So, if you are talking about one child, you would use the word “is” because “child” is a singular noun. But, if you are talking about more than one child, you would use the word “are” because “children” is a plural noun.

Conclusion

Now that you know the correct grammar when talking about children, you can confidently use the correct word whether you are talking about one child or many children.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found this helpful. Comment with a grammatically correct sentence containing the word “children.”

Useful Links

• “My Family And Me” Or “My Family And I?” Which is Correct?
• “Family’s” or “Families:” Which One is Correct?
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