Bread and Butter: A Perfect Pairing

What is the correct form of the sentence "Bread and butter are available here"?

a) Bread and butter are

b) Bread and butters are

c) Breads and butter are

d) Bread and butters is

Answer:

There is no error in the sentence 'Bread and butter are available here'.

The phrase 'bread and butter' is commonly used in the English language to describe essential or basic items. In this case, 'bread and butter' are referred to as a unit or collective noun, which means they can be considered singular or plural depending on the context.

When we say "Bread and butter are available here," it is grammatically correct because we are considering 'bread and butter' as separate entities that are both available. However, it is also acceptable to say "Bread and butter is available here," treating the phrase as a singular unit.

Options b) 'Bread and butters are', c) 'Breads and butter are', and d) 'Bread and butters is' are incorrect because they attempt to modify the common phrase 'bread and butter', which is already a unit of two complementary items.

Remember, 'bread and butter' is a versatile phrase that can be used in singular or plural form, so both "are" and "is" can be correct, depending on the intended emphasis.

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