fleet, group, choir, class, army, mob, tribe,
herd, committee, tons, dollars, bushels, carloads, gallons, days,
months.

EXERCISE 41

_Go over each of the above sentences and determine whether IT or
THEY should be used in referring to the subject._

63. THE FOLLOWING RULES GOVERN THE AGREEMENT OF THE VERB WITH A
COMPOUND SUBJECT:

1. When a singular noun is modified by two adjectives so as to
mean two distinct things, the verb should be in the plural; as,
_French and German literature ARE studied._

2. When the verb applies to the different parts of the compound
subject, the plural form of the verb should be used; as, _John
and Harry ARE still to come._

3. When the verb applies to one subject and not to the others,
it should agree with that subject to which it applies; as, _The
employee, and not the employers, WAS to blame, The employers, and
not the employee, WERE to blame, The boy, as well as his sisters,
DESERVES praise._

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