Is or are?

[philo2009]

Which of the following is correct?

a) I don't know where the wedding or reception is.

b) I don't know where the wedding or reception are.



Thank you in advance

In AmE the general rule is that, in an alternative conjunct (i.e. an either A or B construction), the verb agrees with the second/final element (making (a) the correct choice), and many users of BrE also now follow suit.

Traditionally, however, BrE - frequently more flexible than AmE in matters of verbal agreement - also allows a plural verb in such cases, making (b) an equally acceptable choice for many.

 

[Raymott]

In AmE the general rule is that, in an alternative conjunct (i.e. an either A or B construction), the verb agrees with the second/final element (making (a) the correct choice), and many users of BrE also now follow suit.

Traditionally, however, BrE - frequently more flexible than AmE in matters of verbal agreement - also allows a plural verb in such cases, making (b) an equally acceptable choice for many.

But isn't that irrelevant? This is not a case of "alternative conjunct". There's no "either" in the original. "Or" here means "both".
In this case, "I don't know where the wedding or reception are" means "I don't know where the wedding is and I don't know where the reception is." An alternative would be "I know where one of them is, but I do know where the other is." That is the reason the answer is 'are'. It has nothing to do with flexibility, or granting British eccentricities, the way I see it. It's plural.
"I don't know Tom or Jane" is also not an alternative. It means "I know neither Tom nor Jane". "Tom and Jane are both unknown to me."

Yes, if the sentence means an alternative, it would be "I don't know where X or Y is", meaning also (paradoxically) that I do know where X or Y is, but not both. This would be a very uncommon meaning of "I don't know where X or Y is/are"

 

[philo2009]

You appear to be confusing syntax with semantics!

An alternative conjunct is defined as one worded either

(either) A or B*

(a positive alternative conjunct)

or

neither A nor B

(a negative alternative conjunct)

It so happens that, in English, in contrast to many other languages, we have the option to use the former (a canonically positive phrase), to make an assertion relating either to only one of the two constituents of the conjunct, as in

Either the wedding or the reception is at the town hall (but I don't remember which).

or, in place of the negative conjunct, to both, so that we can say

I don't know (either) Tom or Harry.

when we actually mean

I know neither Tom nor Harry.

The syntactic rule of verbal agreement stated previously applies irrespective of whichever semantico-referential use of a positive alternative conjunct we may happen to be making in any given case.

I therefore have nothing to add to my earlier answer.


*'Either', unlike 'neither', is generally optional.

 

[Winwin2011]

Not a teacher

Subject and Verb Agreement | Grammar Rules

Rule 1

Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by traintoday.
Rule 2

Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as inRule 1.
Examples:
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today withstage decorations.

 

[Raymott]

Not a teacher

Subject and Verb Agreement | Grammar Rules

Rule 1

Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by traintoday.
Rule 2

Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as inRule 1.
Examples:
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today withstage decorations.

That might be a good beginners rule, but it doesn't explain why (at least in AusE) it's normal to say:
1. “I don’t know where Xian or Wuhan are.” when the meaning is "I don't know where Xian is, and I don't know where Wuhan is."
Nor does it explain why people from other places, when asked to actually indicate what they would really say, are hesitant to declare that they would say: 2. "I don't know where Xian or Wuhan is" where 'or' means both, as it does in the original.
In sentence 1, 'or' is used as an inclusive conjunction, making the subject of the second clause plural, despite the use of "or".

Do you have a link to a site that deals with inclusive 'or'?

 

[Winwin2011]

Not a teacher

Hi Raymott

Link: 20 Rules of Subject Verb Agreement

9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular.

Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident

​

 

[Raymott]

Not a teacher

Hi Raymott

Link: 20 Rules of Subject Verb Agreement

9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular.

Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident

​

That's not an inclusive use of 'or'. That means that only one of them is to blame. It's quite correct and natural to use "or" and "is" there. That's not in dispute.
I was asking for a site which deals with "Jessica or Christian" meaning "Jessica and Christian" as in: "I don't know where Jessica or Christian are". It's a plural subject (two singular subjects joined by "or" making a plural). The meaning is plural (as philo rightly says, that's a semantic issue - but it's a semantic issue that makes the subject plural and hence subject to syntactic rules for plurals) - at least for those of us who say this.

 

[Winwin2011]

That's not an inclusive use of 'or'. That means that only one of them is to blame. It's quite correct and natural to use "or" and "is" there. That's not in dispute.
I was asking for a site which deals with "Jessica or Christian" meaning "Jessica and Christian" as in: "I don't know where Jessica or Christian are". It's a plural subject (two singular subjects joined by "or" making a plural). The meaning is plural (as philo rightly says, that's a semantic issue - but it's a semantic issue that makes the subject plural and hence subject to syntactic rules for plurals) - at least for those of us who say this.

Hi Raymott

I don't have a link to a site that deals with inclusive 'or'.

 

[suprunp]

NOT A TEACHER​

Notionally, or is disjunctive, so that each member is separately related to the verb rather than the two members being considered one unit, as when the coordinator is additive and.
[...]
Where the disjunctive force is weak and or approaches the meaning of and, the plural verb is sometimes found with singular subject phrases, especially in informal usage:

Jogging or swimming {is; ?are} supposed to be good for the heart.

(A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language; pg 762.)

 

[konungursvia]

I think or becomes inclusive when preceded by a negation. But there are still less awkward ways of approaching the whole meaning here.

 

[billmcd]

Which of the following is correct?

a) I don't know where the wedding or reception is.

b) I don't know where the wedding or reception are.



Thank you in advance

or/is; and/are

 

[shannico]

As in:

I don't think Mr or Mrs Smith is/are going to the wedding.

As I said I can see where you're coming from Raymott. It all comes down on how you're looking at it. If you mean

Mr or Mrs Smith as a couple then I guess you could use are, although I find is to be the correct option.

That's not an inclusive use of 'or'. That means that only one of them is to blame. It's quite correct and natural to use "or" and "is" there. That's not in dispute.
I was asking for a site which deals with "Jessica or Christian" meaning "Jessica and Christian" as in: "I don't know where Jessica or Christian are". It's a plural subject (two singular subjects joined by "or" making a plural). The meaning is plural (as philo rightly says, that's a semantic issue - but it's a semantic issue that makes the subject plural and hence subject to syntactic rules for plurals) - at least for those of us who say this.

 

[philo2009]

That's not an inclusive use of 'or'. That means that only one of them is to blame. It's quite correct and natural to use "or" and "is" there. That's not in dispute.
I was asking for a site which deals with "Jessica or Christian" meaning "Jessica and Christian" as in: "I don't know where Jessica or Christian are". It's a plural subject (two singular subjects joined by "or" making a plural). The meaning is plural (as philo rightly says, that's a semantic issue - but it's a semantic issue that makes the subject plural and hence subject to syntactic rules for plurals) - at least for those of us who say this.

As stated in my first post, because of the notional plurality of the alternative conjunct used to make a denial, many users (esp. of Br/AusE) will indeed accept a plural verb, just as they do after 'family, government' etc.

However, AmE fairly strictly rejects this, and this usage is gradually coming to be regarded as standard, particularly for academic use, even amongst speakers of other varieties.