Verb agreement

Question

Hi,Which of these two sentences is right?The impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation of heat exchanger networks HAS long been recognised.The impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation of heat exchanger networks HAVE long been recognised.When several subjects are compounded using "and", should the verb agree with the last one or should it be always in plural?Do the same rules apply for subject compounded using "or" ?Thank,

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]The impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation of heat exchanger networks HAS long been recognised. The ... subjects are compounded using "and", should the verb agree with the last one or should it be always in plural?[/nq]
The boy and the girl IS going to the movies.
The boy and the girl ARE going to the movies.
Which one would you choose?

Dena Jo
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Usenet · Answer

"4B" (Email Removed) wrote on 02 Mar 2004:
[nq:1]Hi, Which of these two sentences is right? The impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation of ... subjects are compounded using "and", should the verb agree with the last one or should it be always in plural?[/nq]
I would probably use a plural verb if I couldn't eliminate one of the compound subjects. Sometimes, though, a compound subject can be considered a single entity, e.g., "The up and down of his accent was (not 'were') pleasing".
I would eliminate "impact"; it seems redundant here, and if not redundant, then verbose at the very least.
[nq:1]Do the same rules apply for subject compounded using "or" ?[/nq]
No.

Franke: EFL teacher & medical editor.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Which of these two sentences is right? The impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation ofheat exchanger ... several subjects are compounded using "and", should the verb agreewith the last one or should it be always in plural?[/nq]
No and no. A sentence never has "several subjects", it only ever has one. In this case the subject is "the impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation of heat exchanger networks". The question is, is this subject singular or plural? To work this out, we need to ask what has "long been recognised". Is it networks? No. Is it the economics and operation of heat exchanger networks? No. Is it fouling? No. It's the impact and significance of fouling on the other stuff. That's two things, so that's plural: they have long been recognised. (If you say so.)

Adrian

Usenet · Answer

On 2 Mar 2004 17:00:10 GMT, CyberCypher
[nq:2]Hi, Which of these two sentences is right? The impact ... the last one or should it be always in plural?[/nq]
[nq:1]I would probably use a plural verb if I couldn't eliminate one of the compound subjects. Sometimes, though, a compound ... 'were') pleasing". I would eliminate "impact"; it seems redundant here, and if not redundant, then verbose at the very least.[/nq]
I would be inclined to leave "impact" and eliminate "significance".

That might come from my preference for using "significance" only when something is being signified.
[nq:2]Do the same rules apply for subject compounded using "or" ?[/nq]
[nq:1]No.[/nq]
Peter Duncanson
UK
(posting from a.e.u)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hi, Which of these two sentences is right? The impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation of ... last one or should it be always in plural? Do the same rules apply for subject compounded using "or" ?[/nq]
I'd skirt the problem by eliminating the word 'significance'. It not only doesn't add anything, it doesn't fit with the word 'on' that is required by 'impact'.
The 'economomics and operation' sounds odd, too. Maybe 'economics of operation' would be better, or just 'economics'.

john

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Which of these two sentences is right? The impact and significance of fouling on the economics and operation of heat ... last one or should it be always in plural? Do the same rules apply for subject compounded using "or" ?[/nq]
The sentence at issue is a textbook example of rhetorical repetition of a single subject, and so the wanted verb form is singular: that is, "impact" and "significance" are essentially the same thing. Compare this example from Wilson Follett, quoting a windy but grammatical preacher: "What is the end and aim and object and goal of all this striving?"
More generally, compounded subjects are plural when they are truly individual subjects, and so always take a plural verb:

"Bob and his wife Sara, and Fred Smith, and the Johnsons ARE coming to the meeting tomorrow."
"Bob and his wife Sara, and the Johnsons, and Fred Smith, ARE coming to the meeting tomorrow."
Subjects compounded with "or" are no difficulty when all are singular or all plural
"Either Isaac or Sean HAS to go."
"Either the Smiths or the Pirellis HAVE to go."
but, when mixed, present problems without universally accepted solutions, save the perennial (and sound) advice to recast so as to sidestep the difficulty.

Verb agreement

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