79 replies to this topic

[samiam81]

The answer is "is". This is a grammar question not a math one. It is true that 7+5 is 12 and not 13, but that is irrelivant.

No and yes. Yes, this can be viewed as a grammar question, however you need to review your grammar rules.

As a grammar question the answer is "are". It is not correct to say two objects together are singular. Seven AND five denote a group of two objects. Singular uses "is", plural uses "are".

Example: A pen and a pencil ARE on my desk. Both objects are singular, together with "and" are plural.
OR
Example: Seven units and five units are thirteen. All numbers are a way of keeping track of something; distance, apples, atoms, some variable, etc.

If it was stated "seven plus five is/are thriteen", the answer would be "is". Seven plus five (or the sum) is a singular result, twelve.

Or another option would be to state it as "the SUM of seven and five is/are thirteen". Sum is singular, therefore uses "is" and that would be correct.

The whole point of this question is to prove your answer. If you say neither, 7+5=12, than you are correct. If you say "are" based on seven AND five denote a group of two objects, and are therefore plural, than you are correct.

If you say "is", that is incorrect grammar and therefore incorrect.

[darsh]

Hello everybody... I am fascinated that there has been so much discussion (wonderful banter) about this seemingly basic topic. My comments are:

First: The addition of 7 and 5 is 12, and the addition of 5 plus 7 is 12; not 13!

Now, if we consider that as a typo and just focus on the grammar:

As I understand 'translating math into English' (or vice versa), the word "and" means decimal point. Therefore, neither is correct because "7 and 5" is something like 7.5, and "5 and 7" is something like 5.7. As an example, consider writing a check (something not performed too much since the dominance of 'plastic'): when one must write out the amount of the check, the "and" acts as the decimal.

Interestingly, there is another quirk with this topic. Mathematically, both statements "7 and 5" and "5 and 7" are meaningless because we have not specified any relationship (add, subtract, etc...) between the two numbers; we only make reference to them. Therefore, it is silly to discuss the meaning of the equals sign when there is no meaningful expression to be equal to anything.

To determine if "is" or "are" is the correct word to use for the equality, we must first correctly iterate the expression, and then look at it's components. Try some examples... absolute value and quadratics provide some interesting grist.

"chow"

[babysoots]

Have just discovered this subject and sorry, I haven't read all 7 pages (how amazing that such a little thing can lead to so many comments). So here are a few more with apologies if someone has already said what I'm about to:

- I love these red herrings that lead you completely up the wrong path making you miss the obvious. Obviously the maths answer is 12 not 13 but I fell for it not seeing the deliberate mistake on first reading.

- Grammatically the correct word is "is", i.e. 7 and 5 is 12. Why? Because the verb "is" (to be) relates to the sum total (one thing, hence singular "is" and not plural "are") and not to the two, or in other operations, more numbers that make up the total. The numbers 7 and 5 are not 12, they are always 7 and 5 respectively and it is only when they are added that their total IS 12.

[dogliver]

It depends on what the meaning of "is" is.

[omi_664]

neither,

5 and 7 does not equal 13...

[goldyfish]

seven and five are twelve








I love goldyfish!

[loanarranger]

A way to take the math out of the problem and make it less arguable; "The yolk of an egg IS white, or the yolk of an egg ARE white."

[Kriissii]

haha i was thinking about it for like an hour then im like omfg duh!

[i'm thinking...]

What is Correct - Back to the Logic Puzzles
Is it correct that seven and five is thirteen or seven and five are thirteen?

Of course, while we are on the subject of grammar...the question should read: "Which is correct?"

[Nubia]

the answer is neither because seven plus five is twelve. and correct english is "seven and five is twelve." well, even if it isn't "correct," that is the colloquial way of saying it. why? because we say seven plus five IS twelve, so why would you say seven and five are twelve? it just sounds weird.

Good point because if you say 'seven and five ARE twelve' then you are effectively not finishing your sentence as it implies that the sentence is 'seven and five are twelve somethings'

Edited by Nubia, 05 October 2008 - 03:47 PM.