Subject-Verb agreement with compound subjects

[Goddlefrood]

> Carol said (quoting):
 
> "Are" is used for singular subjects joined by "and" but 
> not "or." "I are" and "he are" are both incorrect. Singular 
> subjects joined by "or" remain singular and take a singular 
> verb. If the verb form differs, as in this case, the verb 
> agrees with the nearest noun.

Goddlefrood:

Ah, but you see it's noted as being a problematic phrase and 
if it did ever come up, and you'll all have noted that I stated 
earlier that the phrase itself would be unlikely to be used at 
all, then different wording would be appropriate.

> Carol:
> We're discussing what the rule is (standard English as agreed 
> upon by the various authorities that I cited) not the question 
> of prescriptive vs. descriptive grammar.

Goddlefrood:
And here's the problem because there are no absolutely rigid 
rules, unlike in French where the academy mentioned in other 
posts governs this sort of thing. What I'm saying is that to 
insert 'are' is what I would say. I couldn't really give two 
figs what the rules may or may not say. It's how *I* would 
say or write the phrase that counts to me. I can live with 
being villified for that, if that's what you care to do.

> Carol:
> I intended no offense, and I apologize if I sounded flippant 
> with my "Oops, wrong," Nevertheless, you are mistaken that 
> "Either he or I *are* going" would ever be considered correct.

Goddlefrood:

It wasn't taken as an offence, and I have said I'm no grammarian. 
I write and talk per what instinct tells me, and usually it does 
not steer me wrong seeing as it is the only language I speak 
fully, even if I have some other languages at my command.

> Carol, somewhat offended by the tone of your post but striving 
> to keep her feathers unruffled

Goddlefrood:

As noted many times, it's difficult to convey tone in written form. 
I assume that when you read 'Well, what do you know?' you took it 
as an attack. Read it again, it's not. It's an expression of my 
pleasure at finding that my instinct in inserting 'are' was not 
necessarily incorrect. Maybe if I'd put 'Well, whadda ya know?' 
that sense would have been conveyed better.

IOW, there's no need to preen.

As this has been a relatively dry exchange and is probably of 
little interest to members not participating I'll be leaving 
this thread and remaining unconvinced.