Sentence fix

Question

Oversized bracelets, oversized earrings, oversizing of accessories, in general, is very popular now.Why is it is and not are?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Very good question.

A native speaker would avoid this kind of mixing of forms in the same compound subject.

Oversizing of accessories in general, and oversizing of earrings in particular, are very popular now.

This would be fine.

"Oversizing" is a singular noun, and simply overpowers "bracelets and earrings" with the longer phrase.
I think it's a question of balance, and of parallel structure - also proximity to the verb.

If you set off the phrase as an appositive, eg., with dashes, the plural verb would fly:
Oversized bracelets, oversized earrings - oversizing of accessories in general - are very popular now.
Note, no comma after "accessories."

Pleasehelp · Answer

This was off an episode of friend's dialogue...I mean Friends is like the quintessential American sitcom yet they have such rudimentary errors...No wonder I'm confused with English grammar...

Pleasehelp · Answer

are you saying it can be is or are?

Banu82in · Answer

What is popular? Oversizing of accessories. Here, the subject is "Oversizing" and not "accessories", so it should read as "Oversizing of accessories, in general, is popular now."

In sentences like these, the ones with "of", the verb to be used will depend on the noun or in this case, the gerund (Oversizing) that comes before "of."

Pleasehelp · Answer

AvangiVery good question.

A native speaker would avoid this kind of mixing of forms in the same compound subject.

Oversizing of accessories in general, and oversizing of earrings in particular, are very popular now.

This would be fine.

"Oversizing" is a singular noun, and simply overpowers "bracelets and earrings" with the longer phrase.
I think it's a question of balance, and of parallel structure - also proximity to the verb.

If you set off the phrase as an appositive, eg., with dashes, the plural verb would fly:
Oversized bracelets, oversized earrings - oversizing of accessories in general - are very popular now.
Note, no comma after "accessories."

So Avangi was wrong? It should be only is and not are???

Banu82in · Answer

The use of "is" in the given sentence is correct. Avangi has provided the explanation to this:"Oversizing" is a singular noun, and simply overpowers "bracelets and earrings" with the longer phrase.

Note that Avangi has rephrased the sentence when using the verb "are."

Oversizing of accessories in general, and oversizing of earrings in particular, are very popular now.

And in the last para

Oversizing of accessories in general, and oversizing of earrings in particular, are very popular now.

Pleasehelp · Answer

What do you mean by overpowering "bracelets and earrings"?

Oversizing of accessories in general, and oversizing of earrings in particular, are very popular now.

The rephrased sentence is are because it's actually describing two things?

Anonymous · Answer

"Overpowering bracelets anf earrings" in this context simply means that the emphasis or attention of the reader is shifted to "oversizing of accessories."

and yes, the rephrased sentence uses "are" because it's describing two things.

Banu82in · Answer

hi, i forgot to login and have posted the message as "Anonymous."

Avangi · Answer

pleasehelpOversized bracelets, oversized earrings, oversizing of accessories, in general, is very popular now.

Why is it is and not are? You can make a case for a plural verb, but no one would ever use it.
Three things are popular: bracelets, earrings, and oversizing. You have a compound subject comprising three nouns. In general, this would always call for a plural verb. The fact that two of them are plural and one is singular has nothing to do with it. The fact that two of them are physical objects and one is a practice has nothing to do with it.
The problem is that the first two are very short, and the last one is much longer, by comparison - "oversizing of accessories, in general." By the time you've digested this last phrase, you've nearly forgotten about the bracelets and earrings. So your ear/mind considers this "singular subject," "oversizing," to be the subject of the sentence, calling for a singular verb.

There are other common cases where the early part of the sentence calls for plural and the later part seems to call for singular (or vice versa), and we use singular because the singular subject is closer to the verb. I'm trying to think of an example, but I'll be damned if I can. Maybe someone else knows what I'm referring to.

In my other example ("oversizing of accessories in general and oversizing of earrings in particular"), both subjects are the same length, so the ear has no problem in recognizing that there are two of them. There are two subjects (oversizing X and oversizing Y), so a plural verb is called for.

Thanks for the able assist, banu.

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