Singular is correct.  The entire constituent, "Learning and assimilating new information,"  is a gerund phrase (a nominal nonfinite verb phrase) serving as the singular subject of the sentence. 
 
Notice what happens, however, when we delete " . . . new information . . . ."  Now we have two separate gerund phrases as compound subjects and the verb reflects this by changing to "are."
 
"Learning and assimilating are always easier when the information is presented in a familiar pattern."
 
But we have entered a fuzzy area here.  It could be argued that "Learning and assimilating" is still a singular act based upon its meaning in the original sentence.  It is dangerous to allow semantics to rub noses with syntax.  We rediscover that nothing is as simple as it seems. 
 
 

Jeff Glauner
Associate Professor of English
Park University, Box 1303
8700 River Park Drive
Parkville MO 64152
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http://www.park.edu/jglauner/index.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: Carolyn Kinslow [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 8:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Help with verbal as subject

We have a disagreement about subject/verb agreement, and I would like the expert opinions of the members of this list.  The sentence generating the disagreement reads,
 
        "Learning and assimilating new information is always easier when the information is presented in a familiar pattern."

One camp claims the singular verb,  is, is correct; the other camp maintains that the verb should be plural. How can I explain this construction?

Carolyn