Is the ‘verb and subject number agreement’ a hard-and-fast rule? Or is there some leeway?
For example, in the following sentences do I need to change the verb from ‘was’ to ‘were’ to match the subject number.
Change:
All that mattered was his dream and the boy that would help
realize it.to:
All that mattered were his dream and the boy that would help
realize it.
And, change:
The first thing that sprang to mind as I watched Arpan walk out of
the arrivals gate and look around the airport was the mad fervor
that afflicted me about a decade ago and the boundless darkness that
lurked in the two mountains.to:
The first things that sprang to mind as I watched Arpan walk out
of the arrivals gate and look around the airport were the mad
fervor that afflicted me about a decade ago and the boundless darkness
that lurked in the two mountains.or:
What first sprang to mind as I watched him walk out of the arrivals
gate and look around the airport were the mad fervor that
afflicted me about a decade ago and the boundless darkness that lurked
in the two mountains.In the first example, I find nothing wrong with changing ‘was’ to ‘were’ but in the second example, I’m not comfortable using ‘were’ for some reason.
Answer
No, subject and verb must always agree. That said, there can be complexities and special cases.
In your first example, "was" is correct and "were" is wrong. I think you are getting confused by the word "all". In general, "all" is plural. "All the brothers were valiant." "All roads lead to Rome." Etc. It takes a plural verb.
But the phrase "all I need" is something of an idiom. It indicates the one thing or one set of things that you need, and so is treated as singular.
All I need is this chair.
There is only one thing that I need: this chair. It’s singular.
If you’re identifying more than one thing, either a singular or a plural is acceptable:
All I need is a chair and a lamp.
All I need is two chairs.
All I need are a chair and a lamp.
All I need are two chairs.
All good.
In the second example, you are identifying two things: the fervor AND the darkness, so it is plural and the correct verb is "were".
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : Soulz , Answer Author : Jay
