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Are the sentences below correct?
The average temperature peaks at 25 degrees in London and 30 degrees in New York.
The average temperature in both cities drops between July and September.
I’m struggling to understand why sometimes it’s acceptable to use singular when talking about two cities.
Ask yourself what peaks / drops?
In each case it's the temperature. The temperature is singular and requires a singular verb.
It is not relevant whether it peaks or drops in a dozen places as long as the subject is the temperature.
Take an example that illustrates the point.
John gives his mother a kiss and his father a hug before he leaves. The subject remains John - singular.
A much trickier example is the following, one I have heard two BBC correspondents get wrong.
One in five students at the city university IS Scottish.
Once again, the subject is one, requiring the singular verb is. It is one that is Scottish, not five that are. Many people would tend wrongly to say are Scottish, because the verb follows more closely on students.
