Clarifying Correct Usage: My Favorite Food Is Grapes or My Favorite Food Are Grapes

When it comes to expressing preferences for food, it's important to use the correct form of English to avoid confusion. This article will help you understand when to use is or are with my favorite food.

Do You Use My Favourite or My Favorite?

The words favourite and favorite are simply the British and American spellings of the same word, respectively. Both carry the same meaning and are used interchangeably. For example:

My favourite fruits are oranges and pears. My favorite fruits are bananas and lemons.

Are or Is: What’s the Subject?

The subject of the sentence in question is food. In both British and American English, food functions as a singular noun, despite the fact that you might be referring to a singular or plural object. For instance:

My favorite food is grapes. My favourite food is bananas.

Here, the verb aligns with the subject (food) rather than with the object (grapes or bananas). This concept is known as concord, which ensures the verb matches the subject in number and person.

When to Use Are or Is

In the sentence My favorite food is grapes, the subject is food (singular), and thus the verb is is correct. To use the plural verb form are, you would have to change the subject to a plural noun:

My favorite foods are bananas and grapes.

In this case, both foods and bananas and grapes are plural, making are the correct choice.

Conclusion

To summarize, the correct form of your sentence is My favorite food is grapes. This usage respects the singular nature of the subject (food). It's important to remember that the verb’s form should agree with the subject, not the object:

My favorite food is grapes. My favorite foods are bananas and grapes.

By understanding these rules, you can express your preferences clearly and maintain grammatical accuracy in both British and American English.