[And W. H. Fowler]
Subject: Neither/Nor
RALPH:
it is quoted [from W. H. Fowler]:
"If both subjects are singular & in the third person, the only need is to remember that the verb must be singular & not plural. This is often forgotten..."
and then written:
- Thus, we would suppose, Fowler would advise you to eschew the troublesome "Neither John nor Lisa nor Mary are coming with us;" & instead phrase it, "John, Lisa, and Mary are not coming with us.
I wonder ...
Might the first rule indeed have been forgotten by the time the example was given?
In other words, should it not have been:
-
Thus, we would suppose, Fowler would advise you to eschew the
troublesome "Neither John nor Lisa nor Mary is coming with us;" & instead phrase it, "John, Lisa, and Mary are not coming with us.
Or did I misread that? (Perhaps the plural verb form is acceptable after two third person singular subjects after all?)
peter@dancing.org
letter
in question
To: lolitalark@yahoo.com
Hi, Lolita,
I found a photo in my parents' belongings that appears to be an original of the Dalai Lama as a child. On the back it says "Dalai Lama of Tibet Jan 9 '43 Tolstoy-Dolan photo"
On the upper left corner of the back it has a symbol resembling a 'c' and 15.
On the bottoom right it says For Gen R A Osmun. The phot itself is in near perfect condition.
Is this something that may be of value and if so, any idea who I may approach as a potential buyer?
lmoe3438@msn.com
We suggest you hang the phot on the wall, over the fireplace, and just get on with your life. You might consider it a gift from god (or from the gods). If you sell it on, say, ebay, there's a chance that you may be cursed by the great Yama, one of the furies of Tibet.
As always, as they say, be, but be careful
Editor