<p>Is it grammatically correct to say --</p>
<p>Chips are a type of snack. </p>
<p>(note that "chips" is stated in the plural and "a type" in singular)</p>
<p>Yeah, chips is plural but collectively it is one type of snack.</p>
<p>yes, it is correct</p>
<p>The verb should always agree with the subject. In this case, the subject is "chips." </p>
<p>The phrase "a type" here is a complement. We use complements with verbs like "is/are/am," "seems," "smells," "appears," and so on (the class of verbs called "linking verbs").</p>
<p>Verbs always agree with the subject, never with the complement.</p>
<p>More, similar sentences:</p>
<p>Those girls are a great team. (or We make a great team).
The committee includes four people.
Tigers are a frightening breed.</p>
<p>What is a complement? Like objects, complements complete the meaning of the verb. However, unlike objects, complements don't receive any action, because they're not used with action verbs. They usually describe the subject ("My aunt is a teacher," "my friend is lazy," "my sister seems tired.") They may be nouns or adjectives.</p>