"Two plus two {make/makes} four."

Two plus two make four.
Two plus two makes four.

What verb should I use there, make or makes?

Provide a reason also for your answer, please!

user5262

Posted 2014-03-30T16:29:56.050

Reputation: 81

I think that 2 and 2 make 4 is right as the verb is used according to the second subject – Ali hassnain – 2017-05-28T13:23:42.793

Answered here: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/9053/should-i-use-the-singular-or-plural-verb-in-mathematical-formulae-two-and-two

– relaxing – 2014-03-30T16:52:03.477

Duplicate as noted by @relaxing – CoolHandLouis – 2014-03-30T17:04:45.390

2@CoolHandLouis We can't close posts here as duplicates of posts there. – snailplane – 2014-03-30T17:43:48.933

1I say "two plus two is four" (when talking about arithmetic) rather than "two plus two are four". Just as I say "two is a prime number" and not "two are a prime number". – GEdgar – 2014-03-30T18:25:09.883

Answers

You will occasionally hear people employ plus as a conjunction, and even see people write it. But here it is unambiguously a mathematical operator, and the phrase two plus two is unambiguously a single mathematical expression.

Two plus two makes four.

StoneyB on hiatus

Posted 2014-03-30T16:29:56.050

Reputation: 176 469

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/9053/should-i-use-the-singular-or-plural-verb-in-mathematical-formulae-two-and-two – Alan Carmack – 2016-07-31T17:03:24.363

3A bit of googling shows that it is at least somewhat ambiguous whether you conjugate the singular operation or the collective operands... – relaxing – 2014-03-30T16:57:15.377

You will find both of these used, but I think you'll find is used even more often than either make or makes. Here's an Ngram:

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As for why both are used, that's not hard to figure out. If the subject is singular, the verb makes is used:

The baker makes a cake.

If the subject is plural, the verb make is used:

The bakers make a cake.

So, if the subject is two plus two, that could be considered singular or plural, depending on how you parse it:

It could be plural, because we are talking about a quantity of four
It could be singular, because we are talking about a single math problem with one answer

Since either argument is a valid argument, you'll see it get used both ways:

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
^{(George Orwell, 1984)}

Well, I'm not a star in the mathematics department, but I do know that two plus two makes one less than five and one more than three.
^{(Tennessee Williams, The Gnädiges Fräulein)}

And let's not forget:

Well, one and one is two / Six and two is eight / Come on baby don't ya make me late...
^{(The Blues Brothers, Sweet Home Chicago)}

J.R.

Posted 2014-03-30T16:29:56.050

Reputation: 108 123

Two plus two "makes" four. The addition "makes" four.

user5267

Posted 2014-03-30T16:29:56.050

Reputation:

I will take the contrarian view and point out that many people say

Two plus two make four

In fact, you will also hear

Two and two make four

The reason: there are two subjects with a plural verb.

The number 2 and the number 2 make 4.

That is why people say it like this. This has nothing to do with being a mathematical formula and everything to do with how English works.

user6951

Posted 2014-03-30T16:29:56.050

Reputation:

-1

As far as I am concerned, there are independent sittings of two subjects of the same nature; however, the word independent speaks about singular, and 3rd person singular subject always follow the "addition of" with its main verb:

Two plus two makes four

Here the subjects are repeated, not plural and the object '4' is a single number despite being compound.

Ufaque Rajpoot

Posted 2014-03-30T16:29:56.050

Reputation: 1

-1

I think it comes down to whether plus is joining the two nouns "2" or is a mathematical operator. If it is a mathematical operator then "2 plus 2" is a single expression, but if it is joining the nouns then it is plural. When "and" is used there is less ambiguity in how the english language tells you to handle it as it is very unlikely they are using and as a mathematical operator without very clear context otherwise. "And" is not really related to addition operations in math at all. I'd say if "plus" is used it will likely be "makes" that goes along with it but if "and" is used then the verb would be "make."

user1623709

Posted 2014-03-30T16:29:56.050

Reputation: 1