Taka  +  306426 Fri, 22 Dec 06 06:52 PM Worrying about measuring time precisely, and being paid for units of time, is what distinguishes the West from many other civilizations. It is what compelled human beings to ever more technological creativity, as we broke time down into smaller and more accurate units. About the subject in the sentence in red, is it: (1) Worrying about [measuring time precisely+ being paid for units of time] (i.e. the subject is the worrying about something) or (2) [Worriyng about measuring time precicely]+[being paid for units of time] (i.e. the subject is the worrying about something and the being paid for the units) ? Taka Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004 Japan Senior Member 2,625

	CalifJim  +  306428 Fri, 22 Dec 06 07:12 PM Your choice! English (or is that all language?) is notorious for its ability to build ambiguous structures, and you are particularly adept at flushing them out the bushes, I must say!  I interpret the sentence as you do in your first formulation, if my particular choice is of interest to you! CJ CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,434 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

	Taka  +  306520 Sat, 23 Dec 06 04:42 AM  CalifJim wrote: Your choice! English (or is that all language?) is notorious for its ability to build ambiguous structures, and you are particularly adept at flushing them out the bushes, I must say!  I interpret the sentence as you do in your first formulation, if my particular choice is of interest to you! CJ Good! And could you tell me why your pick is (1), rahter than (2)? Taka

	Grammar Geek  +  306523 Sat, 23 Dec 06 04:53 AM I would guess the author meant the first because he or she chose the singular "is" as the verb. So that makes me thinkg it's the worrying about [two things] that's the subject, rather than a compound subject which would take a plural "are." Grammar Geek Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006 Veteran Member 19,681 Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random! Verbs, Plurals, Compound Subjects

	Taka  +  306530 Sat, 23 Dec 06 05:21 AM  Grammar Geek wrote: I would guess the author meant the first because he or she chose the singular "is" as the verb. So that makes me thinkg it's the worrying about [two things] that's the subject, rather than a compound subject which would take a plural "are." Is it necessary so, GG? Isn't it grammatically also possible to take 'X and Y' as a single unity, like, say, 'bread and butter' or 'gin and tonic'? Taka Grammar, Verbs, Plurals, Compound Subjects

	Grammar Geek  +  306532 Sat, 23 Dec 06 05:27 AM Sure, "bread and butter" and "gin and tonic" (and "ham and eggs" and other things that "go together") can take a singular subject, but the author of this passage has joined two things that are not a standard pairing. Grammar Geek

	Taka  +  306538 Sat, 23 Dec 06 05:53 AM  Grammar Geek wrote: Sure, "bread and butter" and "gin and tonic" (and "ham and eggs" and other things that "go together") can take a singular subject, but the author of this passage has joined two things that are not a standard pairing. Aren't 'worrying about measuring time precisely' and 'being paid for units of time' kind of a typical, if not a standard, pairing in our civilizations? Taka Grammar

	Grammar Geek  +  306540 Sat, 23 Dec 06 06:01 AM Perhaps we pair them in our brains, but not often enough in our writing that they would qualify for the singular verb, the way we do "fish and chips" or "love and marriage" or the other examples you gave earlier. Grammar Geek Verbs, Singular Verbs, Marriage