10 Memories Remember that your theme will NEVER be “there,” so be careful with an unusual sequence of words in your sentences. Ex. There are papers on the desk. Ex. There is a spider hanging on the wall. Remember that nouns like mumps, measles, news, mathematics, and economics take singular verbs. 4 Composite topics If the topics are related by “or”, “ni”, “not only/but also”, etc., use the subject closest to the verb to determine whether the verb should be singular or plural ex. Neither the boys nor his sister wash the laundry. Ex. Neither the girl nor her brothers wash the laundry. 11 Other memories Nouns that end in “s” but are in fact only an object adopt plural verbs.B. Pants, pliers, and scissors Remember to carefully look for topics separated from the verb by words or phrases.

Ex. John, along with his two friends, work at the pizzeria….