1.  The expressions each, every, many a, either, and neither are
   singular.
2.  When the subject consists of singular nouns or pronouns connected by
   or, either—­or, or neither—­nor, the verb must be singular.
3.  Words joined to the subject by with, together with, in addition to,
   or as well as, are not a part of the grammatical subject, but are
   parenthetical, and therefore do not affect the number of the verb.
4.  Since a relative pronoun has the number and person of its antecedent,
   a verb whose subject is a relative pronoun agrees in person and number
   with the antecedent of the relative.
5.  “When the subject though plural in form is singular in sense, the verb
   should be singular; when the subject though singular in form is plural
   in sense, the verb should be plural:"[89] as, “‘Gulliver’s Travels’
   was written by Swift;” “Five hundred dollars is a large sum;” “Half
   of them are gone.”
6.  “A collective noun, when it refers to the collection as a whole, is
   singular in sense, and therefore requires a singular verb; when it
   refers to the individual persons or things of the collection, it is
   plural and requires a plural verb."[90]

[88] “Foundations,” pp, 101-108. [89] A.S.  Hill:  Principles of Rhetoric, revised edition, p. 56. [90] Ibid., p. 57.

EXERCISE LIII.

Insert the proper form of the verb “to be” in each of the blank places:—­

1.  “Horses” ——­ a common noun. 2.  Such phenomena ——­ very strange. 3.  The ship with all her crew ——­ lost. 4.  No less than fifty dollars ——­ paid for what was not worth twenty. 5.  Homer, as well as Virgil, ——­ once students (a student) on the banks of
   the Rhine.
6.  The committee ——­ divided in its (their) judgment. 7.  The genii who ——­ expected to be present ——­ deaf to every call. 8.  France was once divided into a number of kingdoms, each of which ——­
   ruled by a duke.
9.  Sir Richard Steele lived in the reign of Queen Anne, when the tone of
   gentlemen’s characters ——­ very low.
10.  Each man employed in this department ——­ paid for his (their) work. 11.  Mathematics ——­ my hardest study. 12.  There ——­ once two boys who were so exactly alike in appearance that
    they could not be distinguished.
13.  Each of the heads of the Chimera ——­ able to spit fire. 14.  The jury ——­ eating dinner. 15.  “Plutarch’s Lives” ——­ an interesting book. 16.  One of the most beautiful features of Kennebunkport ——­ the tremendous
    rocks all along the coast.
17.  The richness of her arms and apparel ——­ conspicuous in the foremost
    ranks.
18.  My robe and my integrity to heaven
      ——­ all I dare now call my own.
19.  Refreshing as springs in the desert to their long-languishing eyes ——­