“To these recommendations were appended a copy of the minority report.”  A transposition of the sentence will show that the verb should be was, and not were.  “A copy of the minority report was appended to these recommendations.”

Whenever the sentence is introduced by a phrase consisting in part of a noun in the plural, or several nouns in the singular or plural, and, especially, where the subject follows the verb; care must be taken to keep the nominative well in mind, so that the verb may be in strict accord with it.
  ________________________________________________
_________________

200

Compound Subjects

When a verb has two or more nominatives it must be plural.  These nominatives may or may not be connected by and or other connecting particle.  The nominatives may consist of nouns or pronouns, either singular or plural, or they may be phrases.

“Washington and Lincoln were chosen instruments of government.”

“Judges and senates have been bought for gold,

Esteem and love were never to be sold.”—­ Pope.

“Art, empire, earth itself, to change are doomed.”—­ Beattie.

“You and he resemble each other.”

“To read and to sing are desirable accomplishments.”

“To be wise in our own eyes, to be wise in the opinion of the world, and to be wise in the sight of our Creator, are three things so very different as rarely to coincide.”—­ Blair.

Singular in Meaning

Nominatives are sometimes plural in form but singular in meaning.  Such nominatives require a verb in the singular.

“The philosopher and poet was banished from his country.”  Was is correct, because philosopher and poet are the same person.
  ________________________________________________
_________________

201

“Ambition, and not the safety of the state, was concerned.”  Was is correct, because ambition is the subject.  The words, “and not the safety of the state,” simply emphasize the subject, but do not give it a plural meaning.

“Truth, and truth only, is worth seeking for its own sake.”  Another case of emphasis.

Each, Every, No, Not

When two or more nominatives are qualified by one of the foregoing words the verb must be singular.

“Every limb and feature appears with its respective grace.”—­ Steele.

“Not a bird, not a beast, not a tree, not a shrub were to be seen.”  Use was instead of were.

Poetical Construction

When the verb separates its nominatives, it agrees with that which precedes it.

“Forth in the pleasing spring, Thy beauty walks, thy tenderness, and love.”—­ Thomson.

Or, Nor, As well as, But, Save

When two or more nominatives in the singular are separated by such words as the preceding, the verb must be singular.

“Veracity, as well as justice, is to be our rule of life.”—­ Butler.
_________________________________________________________________

202