The worst thing IS Spaniards OR The worst thing ARE Spaniards

[Mark Skype Teacher]

Hi! Good morning!

I´m just double checking this grammar point. This doubt came up in a Skype English class with a Spanish student. Which is correct?

1. The worst thing IS Spaniards.

2. The worst thing ARE Spaniards.

Since a singular subject takes a singular verb, whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb, I believe option 1 to be correct. However, as a native, and I am sure natives would not be sure, option 2 sounds OK too! For an exam I would definately go for option 1.

Any opinions?? Many thanks. Mark

[宇崎ちゃん]

The worst thing is that the Spaniards eat too much.
The worst people are Spaniards.

So neither of the 2 you said were correct.

[Mark Skype Teacher]

Thanks.

 

My student actually said and I should have put this in the original sentence: 'In Spain, the worst thing are Spaniards'. I corrected her to 'In Spain, the worst thing is Spaniards' or 'The worst thing in Spain is Spaniards'. Given the grammar rule I have presented above, the last 2 options seem correct.

[lecanard7]

On 8/17/2016 at 11:20 PM, Mark Skype Teacher said:

My student actually said and I should have put this in the original sentence: 'In Spain, the worst thing are Spaniards'. I corrected her to 'In Spain, the worst thing is Spaniards' or 'The worst thing in Spain is Spaniards'. Given the grammar rule I have presented above, the last 2 options seem correct.

This is really confusing. I would originally have gone with ARE but when I read everything that has been said I don't know anymore. I guess it depends on the context. English can be such a confusing language and I'm a native speaker! 

[gracerph]

On 15/08/2016 at 6:16 AM, Blaveloper said:

The worst thing is that the Spaniards eat too much.
The worst people are Spaniards.

So neither of the 2 you said were correct.

I'm not a native English speaker but I have also taught English before. I would have to agree with Blaveloper. Don't get me wrong here, but I think that the two options that were provided in the OP both are wrong and incomplete in structure.

[takibari]

@Mark Skype Teacher

Off the top of my head, both sentences are awkward structurally.
Problem to me is wrong choice of OBJECT. Thus, both sentences don't sound right.

Subject is 'thing' - Are "Spaniards" things?

The worst thing is the color.
The worst thing is its smell.

The worst thing is Spanish. (correct in reference to the Spanish language)

Blaveloper's second example is OK, changing 'thing' to 'people'. So, use of ARE becomes correct, and sentence doesn't sound awkward.

The worst people ARE Spaniards.

[Mark Skype Teacher]

Thanks for your comments on this everybody. Agreed that the structure 'In Spain, the worst thing is Spaniards' doesn't sound right but as far as I have studied in terms of grammar, it seems correct in English. I'd say, it can be argued that a person can be a thing. A 'thing' is all that exists, otherwise there is nothing. But since we don't usually call people 'things' perhaps I am wrong. Blaveloper's second example doesn't work in terms of the meaning the student wished to have.

This sentence sounds better as a native which is what the student wanted to get over: 'The worst thing/aspect about Spain is the Spaniards/the Spanish people'.

I don't believe, at this instance, the sentence 'In Spain, the worst thing is the Spaniards' is necessarily wrong grammatically, however it does sound odd.