Michael,
   "Contextual" I get, but not "objective", since you make it clear (and I
heartily agree) that an expression should not rotely follow a rule, but
fit a writer's or speaker's intention. You leave me wondering how you
would like us to understand "objective".

Craig

>


 Dick et al
>
> Ask yourself why "his speech as well as his manners is objectionable"
> doesn't sound right.  In that sentence I suspect that "as well as his
> manners" serves as a delayed, emphatic additional subject--something akin
> to: also especially his manners!--and is therefore and thereby plural.
> Remember, if the subject is plural, the verb should be as well.  Many
> subjects succeeded by "as well as" are intended indeed to be singular.
> The subject/example you provided, in most contexts, emphatically is NOT.
> Grammar, like language and concepts, is contextual and objective.
>
> Michael
> -------------- Original message from "Veit, Richard" <[log in to unmask]>:
> --------------
>
>
> Thanks, Carol. That is most helpful. Is it is. I knew that intellectually
> but wish it sounded right too. For example, change “manner” to “manners”
> in the Strunk and White example and it doesn’t seem as clear cut: "His
> speech as well as his manners is objectionable."
>
> Dick Veit
>
>
>
>
> From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carol Morrison
> Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2008 4:11 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: a subject-verb-agreement question
>
> According to Strunk and White in The Elements of Style, "[a] singular
> subject remains singular even if other nouns are connected to it by with,
> as well as, in addition to, except, together with, and no less than (21).
> So I believe that your last example would take the verb "is". Strunk and
> White give the following example: "His speech as well as his manner is
> objectionable" (21).
> I'm not sure if the comma between "society at large" and "as well as"
> changes that in your sentence though.
>
> --- On Sun, 6/15/08, Veit, Richard <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> From: Veit, Richard <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: a subject-verb-agreement question
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008, 3:32 PM
> A little help, please, with subject/verb agreement in a sentence. These I
> have no trouble with:
>
> Good policy will come when society at large is educated about HPV.
> Good policy will come when at-risk individuals are educated about HPV.
> Good policy will come when society at large and at-risk individuals are
> educated about HPV.
>
> And pretty sure about this:
>
> Good policy will come when society at large (not just at-risk individuals)
> is educated about HPV.
>
> But what about this one?
>
> Good policy will come when society at large, as well as at-risk
> individuals, is/are educated about HPV.
>
> Do the commas make the second phrase an aside so that the verb should
> agree with “society” only (i.e., “is”)? Or do we treat “as well as” as
> equivalent to “and,” making “are” the right choice? I seek your informed
> guidance on the matter. Any specific reference to authority is especially
> welcome.
>
> Dick
> ________________________________
> Richard Veit
> Department of English
> University of North Carolina Wilmington
>
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