What in a sentence, a plural or in the singular?

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Believer  #299888  Sat, 02 Dec 06 12:46 PM

Hi,

When you see the word "what" in sentences, particularly when it occurs in the middle of a sentence, is it safe to assume it is in the singular?

It is that what seems to be causing it.

Can it never be 'what are' or 'what seem'?   

  
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Inchoateknowledge  #299897  Sat, 02 Dec 06 01:03 PM

It is that what seems/seem to be causing it.

that = what seem/seems to be causing it, and refers to the noun clause

  
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Marius Hancu  #299928  Sat, 02 Dec 06 02:02 PM
It, that, what
all suggest singular

  
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Yoong Liat  #299966  Sat, 02 Dec 06 03:40 PM

 Marius Hancu wrote:
It, that, what
all suggest singular

I've found 'what seem ...' in the following website.

Search Results

Oxford University Google Search

 It seems that even in provincial towns, the train stations are enormous. ... Surrounding the shower head, on a big chrome casing, are what seem to be large ...
www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~davidc/China/index6.html - 31k - Cached - Similar pages  

Surrounding the shower head, on a big chrome casing, are what seem to be large lights, giving it the effect of a futuristic surgeon's table. There are four switches on the wall, each labelled in Chinese.

  
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