Write for Business - Blog

Singular subjects joined by or or nor require a singular verb.

Either Spencer or Laura is expected to attend the meeting.

Note: Sometimes one of the subjects joined by or or nor is singular and one is plural;the verb should agree with the subject closer to the verb.

Neither his complaints nor his attitude was the reason I changed my mind.
(The singular subject attitude is closer to the verb; therefore, the singular verb was is used to agree with attitude.)

(From Write for Business, page 261, and Proofreader's Guide PDF, page 73)

Compound subjects connected with and almost always take a plural verb.

Hard work and attention to detail are her greatest strengths.

(From Write for Business, page 261, and Proofreader's Guide PDF, page 73)

As an adjective, right means "righteous, correct, or appropriate"; as a noun, it means "that which is just or legal." Write means "to inscribe or compose." A wright is someone who builds or repairs something. Rite is a ceremonial act.

Write the memo again, but this time use the right form.

Get the wheelwright to repair the spokes.

The initiation rites need to be reviewed.

(From Write for Business, page 237, and Proofreader's Guide PDF, page 49)

Respectfully means "showing a high regard for"; respectively means "each in the order mentioned."

The young man respectfully shared his views with his father.

Awards were given to Mira, John, and Roland respectively.

(From Write for Business, page 237, and Proofreader's Guide PDF, page 49)

Delayed subjects result when the verb precedes the subject (an inverted sentence). In such sentences, the true (delayed) subject must agree with the verb.

There are many interesting stops along the way.
There can be no smoking on the bus.
(Stops and smoking are the subjects of these sentences, not there.)

(From Write for Business, page 261, and Proofreader's Guide PDF, page 73)