stands

If I understand your question correctly, you are asking whether rge word 'stands' is used correctly in the third sentence. Am I right?

The answer is yes. 'Stands' here means 'is.' You are asking which construction should be used in the sentence, without changing the meaning of the sentence, as it 'stands.'

Re: stands


There are some nouns, especially in the form of compound phrases, that are treated like singular nouns even though they are plural, but I don't think this applies to "French fries." In normal speech the phrase is treated as a plural noun, so the verb would be "make" : "French fries make an excellent complement to hamburger(s)." (I think "hamburger" should be put in the plural as well in order to correspond more consistently with the first part of the sentence.)



Yes. I understood what you meant, at any rate.

I agree with Shapeless; the phrase "French fries" is certainly a plural and must take a plural verb.

You could say either that French fries "make an excellent complement to hamburgers" or that they "make an excellent complement to a hamburger".

The verb question and answer was already addressed here:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2757750#2757750