Friends,
I'm new here so, first things first, hi to everyone.
:)

I'm an English (as a foreign language) teacher and I wanted to submit you a 
question:
what is more correct,
*The Sunflowers* are Van Gogh's
or
*The Sunflowers* is Van Gogh's?

(I won't tell you what I think before reading some answers
:)

Thanks in advance



-- 
till next time take care

Beppe

www.giuseppegazerro.com

In article <483c65df$0$40208$4fafbaef@reader5.news.tin.it>,
 Giuseppe Gazerro  writes:
>what is more correct,
>*The Sunflowers* are Van Gogh's
>or
>*The Sunflowers* is Van Gogh's?

If you are referring to the famous painting, then "is" is correct, since
there is only one painting.
-- 
John Hall
            "Three o'clock is always too late or too early
             for anything you want to do."
                                           Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

John Hall wrote:
> In article <483c65df$0$40208$4fafbaef@reader5.news.tin.it>,
>  Giuseppe Gazerro  writes:
>> what is more correct,
>> *The Sunflowers* are Van Gogh's
>> or
>> *The Sunflowers* is Van Gogh's?
> 
> If you are referring to the famous painting, then "is" is correct, since
> there is only one painting.

I agree here, but I would also add that it would be more idiomatic to 
say: "*The Sunflowers* is by Van Gogh."

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

"John Hall"  ha scritto nel messaggio 
news:WirCaEGX1GPIFwjB@jhall.demon.co.uk.invalid...
> In article <483c65df$0$40208$4fafbaef@reader5.news.tin.it>,
> Giuseppe Gazerro  writes:
>>what is more correct,
>>*The Sunflowers* are Van Gogh's
>>or
>>*The Sunflowers* is Van Gogh's?
>
> If you are referring to the famous painting, then "is" is correct, since
> there is only one painting.


Yes, sure.
The painting *was* painted.
But about *the sunflowerS*?
*Are* they or *is* it painted?

Is *are* plainly wrong?
(that is the question!)
Would you judge
*Who painted the sunflowers?*
*They were painted by Van Gogh*
wrong or *possible*, so as to say?



-- 
till next time take care

Beppe

www.giuseppegazerro.com

Giuseppe Gazerro wrote:
> "John Hall"  ha scritto nel messaggio 
> news:WirCaEGX1GPIFwjB@jhall.demon.co.uk.invalid...
>> In article <483c65df$0$40208$4fafbaef@reader5.news.tin.it>,
>> Giuseppe Gazerro  writes:
>>> what is more correct,
>>> *The Sunflowers* are Van Gogh's
>>> or
>>> *The Sunflowers* is Van Gogh's?
>> If you are referring to the famous painting, then "is" is correct, since
>> there is only one painting.
> 
> 
> Yes, sure.
> The painting *was* painted.
> But about *the sunflowerS*?
> *Are* they or *is* it painted?
> 
> Is *are* plainly wrong?
> (that is the question!)
> Would you judge
> *Who painted the sunflowers?*
> *They were painted by Van Gogh*
> wrong or *possible*, so as to say?
> 
Using "are" is wrong - if it's the title of the painting. If you are 
talking about the subject of the painting as such (not the title) then I 
could imagine a sentence "The sunflowers were painted by Van Gogh".

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

P.S. I'm cross-posting since you posted this question in at least 2 
newsgroups.

In article <483c8235$0$29594$4fafbaef@reader1.news.tin.it>,
 Giuseppe Gazerro  writes:
>Would you judge
>*Who painted the sunflowers?*
>*They were painted by Van Gogh*
>wrong or *possible*, so as to say?

If you pointed to a bunch of flowers in the garden, you could say: "Who
painted the sunflowers?" "They were painted by Van Gogh."

However if you were referring to the painting, it would be: "Who painted
'The Sunflowers'?" "It [the picture] was painted by Van Gogh."
-- 
John Hall
            "Three o'clock is always too late or too early
             for anything you want to do."
                                           Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980)

On May 28, 6:43 am, Einde O'Callaghan <einde.ocallag...@planet-
interkom.de> wrote:
> Giuseppe Gazerro wrote:
> > "John Hall"  ha scritto nel messaggio
> >news:WirCaEGX1GPIFwjB@jhall.demon.co.uk.invalid...
> >> In article <483c65df$0$40208$4fafb...@reader5.news.tin.it>,
> >> Giuseppe Gazerro  writes:
> >>> what is more correct,
> >>> *The Sunflowers* are Van Gogh's
> >>> or
> >>> *The Sunflowers* is Van Gogh's?
> >> If you are referring to the famous painting, then "is" is correct, since
> >> there is only one painting.
>
> > Yes, sure.
> > The painting *was* painted.
> > But about *the sunflowerS*?
> > *Are* they or *is* it painted?
>
> > Is *are* plainly wrong?
> > (that is the question!)
> > Would you judge
> > *Who painted the sunflowers?*
> > *They were painted by Van Gogh*
> > wrong or *possible*, so as to say?
>
> Using "are" is wrong - if it's the title of the painting. If you are
> talking about the subject of the painting as such (not the title) then I
> could imagine a sentence "The sunflowers were painted by Van Gogh".
>
> Regards, Einde O'Callaghan
>
> P.S. I'm cross-posting since you posted this question in at least 2
> newsgroups.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Yes, I agree. It's the name of a painting, so it's The Sunflowers
is.... as stated above.....