Subject Verb Agreement With Neither Nor And Either Or

In this second condition, the reader might be concerned that a plural subject is followed by a singular verb. You can avoid potential problems by placing the plural subject in second place and using a plural verb. 14. Unspecified pronouns usually take individual verbs (with a few exceptions). Article 6. In sentences that begin here or there, the real subject follows the verb. 19. Titles of books, films, novels and similar works are treated as singular and adopt a singular verb. 2. However, if one of the elements is plural, use a plural verb. Note that in a question format, the helping verb is the word that will be unique.

Have you either followed and not just to find competing rules on their use, on the question of whether they are really singular or plural? The second condition occurs when there are alternative topics that share a single verb. In this case, we are talking about two related or related topics. The determinants should be followed by a single name and a singular verb. Very useful, but I can make you on Fowlers Modern English Usage (13th Edn. Page 518, subsection 4), where there is an example: “Neither conservative figures nor evidence of Labour`s recovery since 1993 create any sense of inexorable movement in political fortune,” Times 1985. I would reverse the order here and begin with proof of the resumption of plowing . . .

. conservative figures . . . The first example expresses a wish, not a fact; Therefore, what we usually consider plural is used with the singular. (Technically, this is the singular theme of the object clause in the subjunctive mind: it was Friday.) Usually, it would look awful. However, in the second example, where a question is formulated, the spirit of subjunctive is true. Note: the subjunctive mind is losing ground in spoken English, but should nevertheless be used in speeches and formal writings. Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must be careful to be precise – and also coherent. This should not be done lightly. Here is the kind of wrong phrase that we see and hear these days: examples: neither the plates nor the serving bowl go on this shelf.