"...but in less formal situations like everyday conversation, people tend to use only the plural, especially with neither ... nor" . I just try to andestand why. What this tendency is determined by? Do people think it's a notional

The rule says: the verb conjugates in number with the nearest subject. But what about real usage? As far as I can see ... the verb mainly takes the plural form ... What do you think? You are absolutely correct. The rule should certainly be used in

Hello, The second sentence is the correct one. The boys is the principle subject and has to take the plural verb are . In actual conversation, you probably would say The boys are going to town, and so is the girl. Or more simply, The boys and the

It is plural in every case because it is stated so with 'various types'. It is similar to 'Breakfast foods are becoming healthier.' And, ' Tropical fruits are more readily available than when I was a kid'. Therefore, use

Berkeley, Your question is all about subjects and objects, but people have become confused about these when in their pronoun form (subject "I" or object "me" rather than "Berkeley"). If you're leading

Hi Ralf, I'm an English teacher from Asia and I can relate to what you are talking about since I observe the same things from Americans, especially in movies. The words "here" and "there" are not subjects in a sentence.

Hi, I didn't know whether I should have said rights, or a right or more, because I thought you actually infringe a right or more than one instead of always more than one right. In a context like this, we usually talk about 'rights' in

Sorry for the late response. I've been thinking about what you said and I'm still not entirely convinced that the form "something as as " is incorrect. It is certainly not uncommon. I found the following sentence in a review by

Do you mean "voiced" (pronounced (z))? Yes, I believe it is. The alternate, probably more common, spelling "youse" suggests the pronunciation more clearly. In some British and Irish dialects, it's definitely voiced. In

Is the sibilant in "yous" always vocalized? I have no taped "Sopranos" shows to check. Do you mean "voiced" (pronounced (z))? Yes, I believe it is. The alternate, probably more common, spelling "youse"