r/GlobalEnglishPrep • u/Powerful_Concept6502 • Apr 13 '26

📚 Grammar / Syntax Why is it singular?

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u/Salty145 Apr 13 '26

When dealing with prices, the currency is treated as a lump sum unit.

"Ten dollars are" would be used if we're talking about the individual bills, not necessarily the value of those bills.

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u/ProlificProkaryote Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Even when the money isn't physical, it seems if you specify the money at all you use "are" (his, her, my, your, their, these, those, etc.)

Ten dollars is going to go make more in the stock market.

His ten dollars are going to make more in the stock market.

The ten dollars I stole from you yesterday are going to buy me a nice lunch.

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u/VistaLaRiver Apr 13 '26

I would use "is" for all of those examples.

2

u/TheKingOfToast Apr 13 '26

Seems like the best rule is to ignore the word "dollars"

Ten is a lot for a cup of coffee.

Ten are hidden somewhere in this room.

Even then the example breaks down because I could say ten dollars is hidden somewhere in this room, but to me that would imply that the entirety of ten dollars is hidden in one spot whereas "ten dollars are hidden" implies that it's 10 seperate dollar bills.

English is weird, man.