“Criteria was” or “criteria were”: which is correct?
criteria were
The short answer
The correct usage is criteria were since criteria is the plural of criterion and requires a plural verb.
Why people get it wrong
People often make this error because criteria is commonly mistaken for a singular noun when it is actually the plural form of criterion. In English, nouns ending in -a are often perceived as singular, leading to confusion.
What kind of mistake it is
This is a grammatical error related to subject-verb agreement.
Examples with criteria were
- The criteria were clearly defined.
- Several criteria were taken into consideration.
- Those criteria were outdated.
Quick check
The clearly defined.
The correct usage is criteria were since criteria is the plural of criterion and requires a plural verb.
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