Practical Grammar and Composition Part 18

4. When the verb applies separately to several subjects, each in the singular, the verb should be singular; as, _Each book and each paper WAS in its place, No help and no hope IS found for him, Either one or the other IS he, Neither one nor the other IS he._

5. When the verb applies separately to several subjects, some of which are singular and some plural, it should agree with the subject nearest to it; as, _Neither the boy, nor his sisters DESERVE praise, Neither the sisters nor the boy DESERVES praise._

6. When a verb separates its subjects, it should agree with the first; as, _The leader WAS slain and all his men, The men WERE slain, and also the leader._

EXERCISE 42

_Choose the proper form of the verb in the following sentences:_

1. Hard and soft coal _is are_ used.

2. The boy and the girl _have has_ come.

3. Neither James nor I _are is_ to go.

4. Neither James nor they _are is_ to go.

5. Henry, and not his sister, _is are_ sure to be invited.

6. The children and their father _was were_ on the train.

7. Each man and each woman _was were_ present.

8. Either Tennyson or Wordsworth _was were_ the author of that poem.

9. Either the man or his children _was were_ lost.

10. Either the children or their father _was were_ lost.

11. Bread and milk _are is_ frugal but wholesome fare.

12. The teacher _was were_ cut off by the fire, and also her pupils.

13. The pupils _was were_ cut off by the fire, and also the teacher.

14. Dogs and cats _is are_ useless animals.

15. Neither the daughters nor their mother _is are_ at home.

16. Either the soldier or his officers _is are_ mistaken.

17. The cat and all her kittens _was were_ at the door.

18. Tennyson, not Wordsworth, _were was_ the author.

19. Each of the trustees _has have_ a vote.

20. Our success or our failure _is are_ due solely to ourselves.

21. Neither sincerity nor cordiality _characterize characterizes_ him.

22. Everyone of these chairs _is are_ mine.

23. Each day and each hour _bring brings_ new questions.

24. The car and all its pa.s.sengers _was were_ blown up.

25. The ambition and activity of the man _has have_ been the _cause causes_ of his success.

26. Old and new hay _is are_ equally good for horses.

27. Matthew or Paul _are is_ responsible for that belief.

28. A man, a woman, and a child _is are_ comprised in the group.

29. The pupils and also the teacher _were was_ embarra.s.sed.

30. The teacher and also the pupils _were was_ embarra.s.sed.

31. Neither he nor I _are is am_ going.

32. Book after book _was were_ taken from the shelves.

33. Either Aunt Mary or her daughters _is are_ coming.

34. Either the daughters or Aunt Mary _is are_ coming.

35. Aunt Mary, but not her daughters, _is are_ coming.

36. The daughters, but not Aunt Mary, _is are_ coming.

37. Both Aunt Mary and her daughter _is are_ coming.

38. Mary, and not her mother, _is are_ coming.

39. No preacher and no woman _is are_ allowed to enter.

40. Every adult man and woman _has have_ a vote.

41. Money, if not culture, _gains gain_ a way.

42. Brain power, as well as money, _talk talks_.

43. Each boy and girl _bring brings_ books.

64. SOME MISCELLANEOUS CAUTIONS IN REGARD TO AGREEMENT IN NUMBER:

1. Do not use a plural verb after a singular subject modified by an adjective phrase; as, _The thief, with all his booty, was captured_.

2. Do not use a singular form of the verb after _you_ and _they_.

Say: _You were, they are, they were_, etc., not, _you was, they was,_ etc.

3. Do not mistake a noun modifier for the noun subject. In the sentence, _The SALE of boxes was increased, sale_, not _boxes_, is the subject of the verb.

4. When the subject is a relative p.r.o.noun, the number and the person of the antecedent determine the number and the person of the verb.

Both of the following sentences are correct: _He is the only one of the men THAT IS to be trusted, He is one of those men THAT ARE to be trusted._ It is to be remembered that the singulars and the plurals of the relative p.r.o.nouns are alike in form; _that, who_, etc., may refer to one or more than one.

5. Do not use incorrect contractions of the verb with _not_. _Don't_ cannot be used with _he_ or _she_ or _it_, or with any other singular subject in the third person. One should say, _He doesn't_, not _he don't; it doesn't_, not _it don't; man doesn't_, not _man don't_. The proper form of the verb that is being contracted in these instances is _does_, not _do_. _Ain't_ and _hain't_ are always wrong; no such contractions are recognized. Such colloquial contractions as _don't, can't_, etc., should not be used at all in formal composition.

EXERCISE 43

_Correct such of the following sentences as are wrong:_

1. The ship, with all her crew, were lost.

2. You was there, John, was you not?

3. They was never known to do that before.

4. A barrel of apples were sold.

5. How many were there who was there?

6. This is one of the books that is always read.

7. He don't know his own relatives.

8. I ain't coming to-night.

9. The art gallery, with all its pictures, was destroyed.

10. John, when was you in the city?

11. The book, with all its errors, is valuable.

12. Who they was, I couldn't tell.

13. This is one of the mountains which are called "The Triplets."

14. This is one of the eleven pictures that has gained prizes.

15. The hands of the clock is wrong.

16. The gallery of pictures are splendid.

17. This is one of those four metals that is valuable.

18. This is the one of those four metals that are valuable.

19. That answer, as you will see, hain't right.

20. The whole box of books were shipped.

EXERCISE 44

_In the following sentences correct such as are wrong:_

1. "Cows" are a common noun.

2. Such crises seldom occurs.