Either or

Question

Dear membersEither he or I am wrong.Neither Mary nor we are ready for that.Not the driver but the passengers was killed.Not only he but also I am going to the party.I as well as he am going to the party.All the students in my class like English.Half of the members doesn't agree to the new plan.Twenty years are very long time.A number of friends have come to see him.The number of smokers has increased.Are the verbs above any mistakes?Thanks in advance.SSY

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Here's how I would say them:

Either he or I am wrong.
Neither Mary nor we are ready for that.
Not the driver but the passengers were killed.
Not only he but also I am going to the party.
I as well as he am going to the party. (Technically correct, but right or wrong, I'd say are.)
All the students in my class like English.
Half of the members don't agree to the new plan.
Twenty years is very long time.
A number of friends have come to see him.
The number of smokers has increased.

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

CalifJimEither he or I am wrong.Neither Mary nor we are ready for that.Not the driver but the passengers were killed.Not only he but also I am going to the party.I as well as he am going to the party

I try to avoid sentences such as these. Whatever you do, somebody will claim they are wrong.

I'd say:

Either he is wrong or I am.
Mary isn't ready for that, and neither am I
It wasn't the driver who was killed but the passengers.
He is not the only one going to the party; I am as well..

Tamguatlay · Answer

I as well as he am going to the party. BUT
He as well as I is going to the party.

I was taught to use 'am' and 'is' for the above sentences.

Was I taught wrong?

CalifJim · Answer

fivejedjonWhatever you do, somebody will claim they are wrong.

Except the prescriptive textbook that you, as an English learner, are using.

Our problem is guessing what the student's textbook recommends, or indeed, insists on. I was going on the basis that the usual recommendation is to make the agreement with the nearest subject noun except for parentheticals like "as well as X", where X is ignored for the purposes of agreement.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

tamguatlayWas I taught wrong?

No. As I just wrote in my most recent post, these are the usual recommendations.

We are dealing with two different issues here.

1. Is the subject-verb agreement correct?
2. Is the sentence itself natural and idiomatic within the English language?

It turns out that you are being asked to determine the correct agreement for sentences that are quite unnatural, just for the practice. This may or may not be useful in the real world of speaking and writing English. Don't be surprised, as you continue your study of English, if you never use some of these agreement rules again once you've done your practice exercises.

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

CalifJimExcept the prescriptive textbook that you, as an English learner, are using.

Quite.

I really don't see the point in wasting time on this sort of exercise. If proficient native speakers can't always agree, then does it matter?

Unfortunately, some learners have this forced on them. I would say to those who are in that situation, "Accept what your teacher or course book says, and don't worry about it".

Either or

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