One set of events in Lord of the Flies that shows how William Golding is a pessimist is/are the murders of Piggy and Simon and the attempted murder of Ralph.
Don't know whether to use "is" or "are." Both ways sound odd to me.
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What's the subject? Isn't it one set?– tchristCommented Apr 27, 2018 at 1:12
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Subject is one set.– Amit ChandraCommented Apr 27, 2018 at 1:20
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And when have you ever seen one of anything take a plural verb?– tchristCommented Apr 27, 2018 at 1:21
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1A verb agrees with its subject. Nothing else matters.– tchristCommented Apr 27, 2018 at 1:24
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1The subject is "set of events", which is singular. So use "is". But if it's any consolation, many native speakers might also get this wrong.– AndrewCommented Apr 27, 2018 at 1:38
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1 Answer
is is correct. The subject is set, which is singular.
That said, the sentence is complicated, and could confuse readers. Rewording it might improve readability.
