[c.] Singular subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
- Wrong: Either the second or the third of the plans they have devised are acceptable.
- Right: Either the second or the third of the plans they have devised is acceptable.
[d.] A subject consisting of two or more nouns joined by and takes a plural verb.
- Right: The hunting and fishing are good.
[e.] A verb should agree in number with the subject, not with a predicate noun.
- Wrong: The weak point in the team were the fielders.
- Right: The weak point in the team was the fielders.
- Wrong: Laziness and dissipation is the cause of his failure.
- Right: Laziness and dissipation are the cause of his failure.
[f.] In There is and There are sentences the verb should agree in number with the noun that follows it.
- Wrong: There is very good grounds for such a decision.
- Right: There are very good grounds for such a decision.
- Wrong: There was present a man, two women, and a child.
- Right: There were present a man, two women, and a child.
Exercise:
- The sound of falling acorns (is, are) one of the delights of an autumn evening. Eye strain through ill-fit glasses (is, are) injurious to the general health, but reading without glasses (is, are) often more harmful still.
- Neither the baritone nor the tenor (has, have) as good a voice as the soprano. The guitar or the mandolin (is, are) always out of tune.
- The Amazon with its tributaries (affords, afford) access to sea. The conductor of the freight train, along with the engineer and fireman of the passenger, (was, were) injured.
- Ghost stories late at night (is, are) a crime against children. My reason for knowing that it is six o'clock (is, are) the factory whistles.
- There (was, were) in the same coach a dozen singing freshmen. Years of experience in buying clothes (gives, give) me confidence in my judgment.