Every boy and every girl in this room is
entitled to a copy. Many a man and woman in this community
finds himself or herself/themselves in need.
His younger brother and the subsequent
When the subject is followed by the subordinate structure such as as much as, rather than, more than, no less than, the number of verb is determined by the subject itself.
Two-thirds of the swampland has been reclaimed for farming. Over sixty percent of the city was destroyed in the war. Thirty-five per cent of the doctors were women.
②Coordination with “or” / “either…or”, “nor” / “neither…nor”, “not only…but also”
Here the problem of concord is generally dealiple of proximity.
Ham and eggs is a good breakfast. Brown bread and butter is usually eaten
with smoked salmon.
The secretary and treasurer is absent.
Law and order (means, mean) different things to people with different political opinions. Fish and chips (is, are) getting very expensive. The sum and substance of this argument (is, are) war and peace. War and peace (is, are) a constant theme in history. War and peace (is, are) alternatives between which men must constantly choose. The Stars and Stripes (is, are) their national emblem.
Mercedes-Benz.
3.2 Problems of concord with expressions of quantity as subject
① Concord with expression of definite quantity as subject
a) When a definite quantity is regarded as a single unit, the verb takes the singular form and when used in the sense of the individuals that constitute the quantity, the verb takes the plural form. Compare:
anxious to go there again.
Man, no less than the lower forms of life, is the
product of the evolutionary process.
④Subject + as well as
When the subject is followed by the phrases such as as well as, in addition to, with, along with, together with, except, the number of verb is determined by the subject itself.
The treasurer thought that sixty-five dollars was not too much to ask.
Six months is too short a time, General Westmoreland warned.
Three miles was too long a distance for Freedman to run.
were) his responsibility. Not only one, but all, of us (is, are) hoping to be there. The vessel, with its entire crew and cargo, (was, were) lost. Neither sleet nor snow (stops, stop) him from driving his new
editor of his collected papers was / were
with him at his death-bed.
Your fairness and impartiality has / have
been much appreciated.
Practice
Every flower and every bush (is, are) to be cut down. Each student (has, have) got a dictionary. The students each
The manager with some workers was working during the holidays. The father, as well as his sons, is going to enroll. Bill, together with his sisters, was hurt in the accident. The truck along with all its contents was destroyed. The barn, in addition to the house, was burned. No one except two girls was late for dinner.
Five hours is needed to complete the outline.
There were six silver dollars in each of the stockings.
Practice
Where (‘s, ‘re) that five pounds I lent you? Two more dollars (is, are) missing from the
The fishing and the hunting in Arizona were good
that year.
Both Pauline and Bob have gone fishing on Miramar
Lake.
Rain, hail and wind have caused an estimated
overconfident.
Neither the coach nor the Kansas players were
confident of victory.
Not only the switches but also the old wiring has
been changed.
③Subject + as much as
Some of the workers as much as the manager were
responsible for the loss.
His brother rather than his parents is to blame. My wife, more than anyone else in the family, is
Practice
Only 25 percent of the capital (is, are) American-owned. Two-thirds of the people present (is, are) against the plan. Three-fourths of the surface of the earth (is, are) sea. Three-quarters of the area (is, are) cultivated. It’s said that of the total population of Bolivia fully 80 per
Practice
① Coordination with “and” or “both…and”
Good [taste] and bad taste are inculcated
by example.
What I say and [what I] think are no
business of yours.
$22,000,000 damage to crops and livestock.
① Coordination with “and” or “both…and”
But it is treated as singular when it refers to only one person or thing:
(has, have) a dictionary. American and Dutch beer (is, are) both much lighter than