The Verb is produces; the Subject is union. Union is in the Singular Number, and hence produces is rightly in the Singular Number, to agree with it. True, the Adjective Phrase, of two great rivers, comes after the word union; and the mere sound of the word rivers, coming just before the Verb, might make careless speakers think that the Verb should be plural—produce. But the real Subject is union; and the word rivers can have nothing to do with the number of the Verb, because rivers is used with a Preposition, to form an Adjective Phrase, and hence it has no control over the Subject of the Verb.

2. The condition of the roads are horrible.

The real Subject of the Verb is the Noun condition, which is Singular. The Verb, therefore, should be is—the condition is. The phrase of the roads, being a mere qualifier, has no control over the Number of the Verb.

6. RULE.-When a Subject has qualifying Words or Phrases, select the real Subject, and make the Verb agree with that, without reference to the qualifying Words or Phrases.

Exercise 43.

What WORD is the real Subject in these sentences? 1. The direction of the mountains was toward the south.

2. The store, with all the goods in it, was destroyed. 3. None of our children like tomatoes.

4. Six months' interest seems to be due.

5. The mechanism of clocks and watches were then unknown (wrong).

6. A variety of circumstances are to be taken into account (wrong).

What PHRASE in each of these sentences might lead a careless speaker into making a mistake in the Number of the Verb?

MODEL." Six months' interest seems to be due."

The Verb is seems, in the Singular Number. It agrees with its Subject, interest. The word months' has no control over the Number of the Verb, because that word is a mere Adjective describing interest.

XLVII. VERBS WITH TWO SUBJECTS.

(1.) Two Nouns joined by "and.".

1. Sometimes the Subject of a Verb consists of two or more Singular Nouns. Thus:

1. The horse, the ox, and the deer are quadrupeds. 2. Grace and Gertrude have recited their lessons. 3. Gold and silver are precious metals.

2. In the first sentence the Subject consists of three Singular Nouns, connected by and. What are they? The Subject of the second sentence is two Singular Nouns, connected by and. What are they? The Subject of the third sentence is two Singular Nouns. What are they?

3. RULE.-Two or more Singular Subjects, meaning different persons or things, and joined by AND, take a Verb in the Plural.

*** Even a single Noun, if it denotes more than one thing, as trees, men, houses, requires a Verb in the Plural. In the same manner, if we unite two or more singular names by and, there is plurality of Subject, and, of course, the Verb must be Plural.

4. Exceptions.-There are some apparent exceptions to the rule.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. A gentleman and scholar lives here.

EXPLANATION.-This means that one person, who is both a gentleman and a scholar, lives here. Thus there is but one person spoken of; and notwithstanding that you give him two different names, the Verb is in the Singular Number, for the reason that the Verb makes a statement of a subject, and not of its names.

2. Why is dust and ashes proud?

The is is correct, because we are really speaking of one thing, namely, man.

3. The boy, and not the dogs, is to blame.

The Verb is is correct. The sentence really makes two statements -The boy is to blame; the dogs are not to blame. But as one Subject is Singular and the other Plural, we can not make both statements by means of one Verb. Hence we make the Verb agree in Number with the Affirmative Subject, and leave the correct form of the Verb to be understood with the Negative Subject.

4. Every tree and every shrub is in bloom.

The rule in such cases is that when two or more Singular Subjects joined by and are described by the Adjectives each, every, or no, the Verb takes the Singular form.

(2.) Two Nouns joined by "or."

5. RULE.-Two or more Singular Subjects, joined by or or NOR, require a Verb in the Singular.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. John or his brother has the book.

The two Singular Subjects are John and his brother. They are separated by or, and hence, as we really make the statement of only onc, the Verb has is Singular.

2. Either Anne or Jane tell a falsehood.

You observe that the Verb tell is Plural. But this is wrong: the statement is made of but one, and hence the Verb should be singular -tells a falsehood.

6. Sometimes one of the Subjects separated by or is Singular, and the other Plural. In this case the Verb is made Plural. Thus-"He or his friends are to blame."

Exercise 44.

Correct the MISTAKES in the following sentences:

1. Pines and firs grows in Norway and Sweden.

2. My friend and companion are dead.

3. The general, but not the soldiers, have arrived.

4. Neither silk nor tea are produced in this country.

5. Where is the hopes or the vigor of youth?

6. Were Webster or Clay ever president?

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66

LESSON ON THERE IS AND THERE ARE." 129

XLVIII. LESSON ON "THERE IS" AND "THERE

ARE."

1. Shall we say, "there is," or

there are?" This de

pends entirely on what comes after the is and the are.

1. There are apples on the tree.

2. There is water in the milk.

3. There is a peck of potatoes in the pantry.

4. There are many flowers born to blush unseen.

5. There is a pleasure in the pathless wood.

2. Let us now see why we say is or are in each case. 1. There are apples on the tree-because the Plural Noun, apples, coming after are, is its real Subject.

2. There is water in the milk-because the real Subject is the Singular Noun, water.

3. There is a peck of potatoes in the pantry-because the real Subject is the Noun peck, which is Singular; it matters not that we speak of a peck of potatoes, because of potatoes is a mere phrase, and can have no influence on the Number of the Subject.

4. There are many flowers born to blush unseenbecause the real Subject is the Plural Noun, flowers.

5. There is a pleasure in the pathless woods-because the real Subject is the Noun pleasure, which is in the Singular Number.

3. Thus we clearly see that whether we shall say there is, or there are, depends entirely on the Number of the real Subject.

4. Now what is the little word there? If we say, "The book is there," the word there is an Adverb. But there, in the use shown in the sentences given above, is not an Adverb. Thus

"There came to the beach a poor exile of Erin."

This is the same as if we should say―

"A poor exile of Erin came to the beach."

Hence, in all such cases, the word there serves to introduce the Verb's real Subject, which comes in the Predicate. It may be called an "introductory particle."

This is a kind of expression peculiar to the English language; and expressions peculiar to a particular language are called idioms. This construction, therefore, is an idiom; and it is a very good idiom, because it enables us to give variety to our way of stating things. Thus, in place of saying, “A fairy prince once upon a time existed,” we can say, "There was once upon a time a fairy prince," which is an agreeable mode of turning the sentence.

5. The same rule that applies to there is and there are, applies to all Verbs used in the same idiomatic way with there. The Verb must agree with the real Subject, which will be found after the Verb.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. There have been hundreds of people here to-day.

2. There was a man whose name was John.

3. There were two millions of soldiers in Xerxes's army.
4. There seem to be boys who are never contented.
5. There lives an old woman in Swampscott.

6. There's (=there is) a divinity that shapes our ends.

Exercise 45.

Correct the following VERBS:

1. There's many men who can not read.

2. There are a great difference in the dispositions of people.

3. There was ten thousand men killed at Waterloo.

4. Live there a man with soul so dead?

5. There appears to be many who will not be promoted.

6. There is two or three apples on the table.

7. In fact, there is no servants in the house.

8. There are indeed a great number in attendance.

9. There were a shoal of herrings.

10. There was many fires last year.