DD, I learned it that way about ten years later. Herb Herbert F. W. Stahlke, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of English Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306 [log in to unmask] ________________________________________ From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of DD Farms [[log in to unmask]] Sent: June 16, 2008 8:32 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: a subject-verb-agreement question At 04:39 PM 6/16/2008, Paul E. Doniger wrote: >And yet, all through elementary school, we were hammered with >reminders that "two plus two are (not is) four." DD: I know the catechism well, but I know it in the singular verb. It is drilled into my mind, but with the singular "is". Question; What is three plus nine? Response; Three plus nine is twelve. Of course I learned it in 1936. Probably a shift of grammatical agreement over time. To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/