“Not a weed nor a blade of grass were to be seen.”  Change were to was.

“Nothing but wailings were heard.”  Transpose.  “Nothing was heard but wailings.”  The verb should be was.

“Either one or the other of them are in the wrong.”  The verb should be is.

If, however, one or more of the nominatives are plural, the verb must be plural.

“It is not his wealth, or gifts, or culture that gives him this distinction.”  Gifts being plural, the verb should be give.

Some authorities say that the verb should agree in number with the subject which is placed next before it, and be understood (or silent) to the rest; as, “Neither he nor his brothers were there,” “Neither his brothers nor he was there,” “Neither you nor I am concerned.”

Prof.  Genung, author of Outlines of Rhetoric, says:  “When a clash of concord arises, either choose subjects that have the same number, or choose a verb that has the same form for both numbers.”  He gives this sentence to show the change of verb:  “Fame or the emoluments of valor were (was) never to be his.”  “Fame or the emoluments of valor could never be his.”  And this sentence to show the change of one of the subjects:  “Neither the halter nor bayonets
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are (is) sufficient to prevent us from obtaining our rights.”  “Neither the halter nor the bayonet is sufficient to prevent us from obtaining our rights.”

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns, like army, committee, class, peasantry, nobility, are, grammatically, singular, but they are often so modified by their surroundings as to convey a plural idea, and when so modified the verb must be plural.  When the collective noun conveys the idea of unity, the verb must be singular.

“The army was disbanded.”

“The council were divided.”

“A number of men and women were present.”

“The people rejoice in their freedom.”

“The peasantry go barefoot, and the middle sort make use of wooden shoes.”

“The world stands in awe of your majesty.”

“All the world are spectators of your conduct.”

Weights, Measures, and Values

The names of weights, measures, and values, when considered as wholes, require singular verbs, and when considered as units require verbs in the plural.

“There is twenty shillings in my purse,” meaning one pound in value. 
“There are twenty shillings in my purse,” meaning twenty separate
coins, each being a shilling.  “Sixty-three gallons equals a hogshead.” 
“Ten tons of coal are consumed daily.”
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Titles of Books

Whether the form be singular or plural, the title is considered a unit, and requires a verb in the singular; as, “’The Merry Wives of Windsor’ was written by Shakespeare.”  “Dr. Holmes’s American Annals was published in 1805.”