FEW MORE RULES

English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)

FEW MORE RULES

1. When “and” joins complementary nouns like items of a meal, the verb should be singular:
   Rice, beans and plantain ~are~ my favourite meal (nonstandard).
   Rice, beans and plantain is my favourite meal.
2. When addition, subtraction and other mathematical indices join two nouns, the verb could be singular or plural:
   Ten plus ten is twenty (standard).
   Ten plus ten are twenty (standard).
   GAB