An English Grammar Part 99

(4) When a singular is joined with a plural by a disjunctive word, the verb agrees with the one nearest it; as,--

One or two of these perhaps _survive_.--Th.o.r.eAU.

One or two persons in the crowd _were_ insolent.--FROUDE.

One or two of the ladies _were_ going to leave.--ADDISON

One or two of these old Cromwellian soldiers _were_ still alive in the village.--THACKERAY

One or two of whom _were_ more entertaining.--DE QUINCEY.

But notice the construction of this,--

A ray or two _wanders_ into the darkness.--RUSKIN.

AGREEMENT OF VERB AND SUBJECT IN PERSON.

[Sidenote: _General usage_.]

442. If there is only one person in the subject, the ending of the verb indicates the person of its subject; that is, in those few cases where there are forms for different persons: as,--

Never once _didst_ thou revel in the vision.--DE QUINCEY.

Romanism wisely _provides_ for the childish in men.--LOWELL.

It _hath_ been said my Lord would never take the oath.--THACKERAY.

[Sidenote: _Second or third and first person in the subject_.]

443. If the subject is made up of the first person joined with the second or third by _and_, the verb takes the construction of the first person, the subject being really equivalent to _we_; as,--

I flatter myself you and I _shall_ meet again.--SMOLLETT.

You and I _are_ farmers; we never talk politics.--D WEBSTER.

Ah, brother! only I and thou _Are_ left of all that circle now.

--WHITTIER.

You and I _are_ tolerably modest people.--THACKERAY.

c.o.c.ke and I _have_ felt it in our bones--_Gammer Gurton's Needle_

[Sidenote: _With adversative or disjunctive connectives_.]

444. When the subjects, of different persons, are connected by adversative or disjunctive conjunctions, the verb usually agrees with the p.r.o.noun nearest to it; for example,--

Neither you nor I _should_ be a bit the better or wiser.--RUSKIN.

If she or you _are_ resolved to be miserable.--GOLDSMITH.

Nothing which Mr. Pattison or I _have_ said.--M. ARNOLD.

Not Altamont, but thou, _hadst_ been my lord.--ROWE.

Not I, but thou, his blood _dost_ shed.--BYRON.

This construction is at the best a little awkward. It is avoided either by using a verb which has no forms for person (as, "He or I _can_ go," "She or you _may_ be sure," etc.), or by rearranging the sentence so as to throw each subject before its proper person form (as, "You _would_ not be wiser, nor _should_ I;" or, "I _have_ never said so, nor _has_ she").

[Sidenote: _Exceptional examples_.]

445. The following ill.u.s.trate exceptional usage, which it is proper to mention; but the student is cautioned to follow the regular usage rather than the unusual and irregular.

Exercise.

Change each of the following sentences to accord with standard usage, as ill.u.s.trated above (Secs. 440-444):--

1. And sharp Adversity will teach at last Man,--and, as we would hope,--perhaps the devil, That neither of their intellects are vast.

--BYRON.

2. Neither of them, in my opinion, give so accurate an idea of the man as a statuette in bronze.--TROLLOPE.

3. How each of these professions are crowded.--ADDISON.

4. Neither of their counselors were to be present.--_Id._

5. Either of them are equally good to the person to whom they are significant.--EMERSON.

6. Neither the red nor the white are strong and glaring.--BURKE.

7. A lampoon or a satire do not carry in them robbery or murder.--ADDISON.

8. Neither of the sisters were very much deceived.--THACKERAY.

9. Nor wood, nor tree, nor bush are there, Her course to intercept.--SCOTT.

10. Both death and I am found eternal.--MILTON.

11. In ascending the Mississippi the party was often obliged to wade through mora.s.ses; at last they came upon the district of Little Prairie.--G. BANCROFT.

12. In a word, the whole nation seems to be running out of their wits.--SMOLLETT.