People Is or People Are? Which One Is Correct
Quick Answer
The correct form is "people are."
When people means more than one person, it is plural and takes are.
Explanation
People is a plural noun referring to more than one person. In English, plural subjects require plural verbs.
Correct structure: plural subject + are
The word "people" is the irregular plural of "person." Unlike regular plurals that add -s or -es, "person" changes to "people" when referring to multiple individuals.
When can you use “a people”?
There is a different, countable meaning: a people can mean a nation or an ethnic community. In “A people is defined partly by its shared history,” the subject is one community, so is agrees with it. The plural of this meaning is peoples, as in “Many peoples are represented here.”
Compare “The people in this room are waiting” (several individuals) with “A people is preserving its language” (one community). For ordinary references to several individuals, use people are.
Check yourself: “The people at reception ___ helpful.”
Use are. The sentence refers to several individuals; the phrase “at reception” does not change the plural subject.
Examples
Common Mistake
Incorrect: People is very friendly.
Correct: People are very friendly.
Practice
Fix the sentence:
"People is always late."