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Conjunctive noun phrase/verb agreement

2 replies

hallouminatus · 07/02/2021 17:31

In another thread, @Ereshkigalangcleg wrote: "You don't have to believe in what they or your DH believes", and then posted a correction: "Sorry, what they or your DH believe".

The first sentence looks fine to me. Is the correction needed? I don't know if there's an established rule or consensus, but my intuition, where a plural noun or pronoun conjoined with 'or' to a singular noun or pronoun is the subject of verb, is to make the verb agree with the noun closest to it. For example, I'd say: "I don't believe what your husband or your friends say", but "I don't believe what your friends or your husband says".

Am I wrong?

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butterpuffed · 08/02/2021 08:21

I think that had the sentences said 'husband and friends' , 'friends and husband' , I'd use 'say' for both, plural verb.

When the sentence uses 'husbands or friend' , 'friends or husband' , then I'd use 'says' for both, singular verb applying to the last person in the sentence.

Not sure if I'm right but that's what I'd feel more comfortable with.

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hallouminatus · 08/02/2021 12:33

Yes, plural verb with and because both nouns together are the agent - no ambiguity. However, with or only one of the two nouns is the agent, and we don't know which.
It seems your instinct agrees with mine, and with Eresh's initial usage, but not with Eresh's correction.

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