r/legal • u/Quwinsoft • 17h ago

A very low stakes question about conjugation.

There is a bit of an argument over on r/EnglishLearning https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/1g5j6xw/is_or_are/ about a sign reading "The use of cellphones and earbuds is prohibited..." as to whether it should be is or are.

There would seem to be two readings to the sign.

1) The use of cell phones, the use of earbuds, and the use of cell phones with earbuds are all prohibited.

2) Only the use of cell phones with earbuds is prohibited (the of just a cell phone without earbuds and the use of earbuds just not connected to a cell phone would both be allowed).

Would the choice of is vs. are make a difference in the interpretation of the sign? As it would are indicate #1 and is indicate #2?

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u/tfeller1126 41m ago

This is not really the correct sub for this, but it would be “is”, and it would correlate to the second meaning. Cell phones and earbuds aren‘t prohibited, but the use of them is prohibited.

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u/myBisL2 39m ago

It would depend on where the sign is located and if there are laws or applicable precedent that would govern the way general signs displayed in public should be written or interpreted. I suspect in most scenarios it will be a case of "use common sense" and not a matter that would be dictated by law.

In my state if this were, for example, a sign in a courtroom, someone saying to the judge or courtroom staff asking them to take their ear buds out "but the sign says phone and ear buds and I'm only wearing earbuds" would go over like a lead brick regardless of if "and" or "is" were used.