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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Do or does not?

Sentence: "Irony" and "teasing" do not amount to defamation.

Question: "Do not" have been used in the sentence because it refers to two things: "irony" and "teasing", which makes it a case for using the plural form "do not". Imagine if it was instead "irony or teasing" NOT "irony" and "teasing in the sentence, would then also we have used the plural form "do not"?

I want to know this because in my case/sentence, I have been using "or" (Not using "and") between a word and a made-up phrase which are "broadly" same but convey slightly different meaning. Therefore, I am confused whether "does" will come after my word and made-up phrase or "do not"? Please answer this using the above mentioned sentence as reference. For some reason I do not want to share my orginal sentence.

Thanks
  

Top answer

Hi, Sentence: "Irony" and "teasing" do not amount to defamation. Sentence: "Irony" or "teasing" does not amount to defamation. Clive

— Clive

  • Hi, Sentence: "Irony" and "teasing" do not amount to defamation.
  • Sentence: "Irony" or "teasing" does not amount to defamation.
  • Clive
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3 Answers
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Hi,

Sentence: "Irony" and "teasing" do not amount to defamation.

Sentence: "Irony" or "teasing" does not amount to defamation.

Clive
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CliveHi,




Sentence: "Irony" and "teasing" do not amount to defamation.
Sentence: "Irony" or "teasing" does not amount to defamation.

Clive
So Clive it will always be "does not" whenever "or" has been used between two "singular" words, regardless of the meaning and difference between those words or
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Hi,

I dislike saying 'always', but that's the general approach.

Clive
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