correct phrasing

Re: correct phrasing
Both are correct.

IMO, eating or drinking means one or the other. One thing. "Is" is correct.

Contrex, You're far more knowledgeable about these matters than I am. I don't understand how "are" can be correct here.

It isn't. Maybe you should think about eyeglasses, :wink: since Yoong Liat wrote:



Sentence (1) has or ... is, one thing or the other, so we use the singular, as you note.

Sentence (2) has and ... are. Eating and drinking are two things, therefore we use the plural.

There is a third possibilty, not suggested by Yoong Liat,

3. Eating and drinking is prohibited on these premises.

I, and I venture to suggest, many others would take this to mean that the (singular) situation of somebody eating and drinking simultaneously is what is being forbidden.

Oops. Eyeglasses on. Too tired. My mistake.

But your comment on what you thought you saw was in agreement with what I wrote, so you were backing me up, so I was pleased with what you wrote, so don't worry about it all, dear lady.

Thanks for the kind words, contrex, but it's too late. I'm embarrassed. I have to remember not to answer questions when I'm very tired. If I misread something in a regular post, no big deal. But I don't want to give out wrong information in a question.

One is . . .

Both are . . .

1. Eating or drinking is prohibited on these premises.
2. Eating and drinking are prohibited on these premises.

I'm a bit confused. Which is the correct sentence or are both correct?

Many thanks.

As I wrote before,

I personally would never say the first one; it's awkward and sounds weird to me.

I agree that it sounds awkward, but since when has that (rather subjective, and prone to local variation) criterion been how we measure grammatical correctness or acceptability of usage?

Thanks, Contrex.

When I follow the other replies, I sometimes get confused and forget that you have replied to my query.

Hi, Yoong. I agree it can be difficult to remember who has posted what.

To those who feel that the "is" construction is somehow awkward or "sounds wrong", consider these examples of sentences with 'or'...

Imagine the italic part vanished. Would the remaining sentence still be acceptable?

When paying your bill, a cheque or cash is acceptable.

When paying your bill, banknotes or coins are acceptable.

Which is correct? May it please/pleases your Majesty.
My late father said 'May it pleases your Majesty', though wrong, sounds better than using 'please'.
'It pleases me ' is correct and sounds good rather than 'It please me'. My late father told me that what sounds good may be wrong and vice versa.

Some usages "sound wrong" (in this context wrong=unfamiliar) because they are local to specific geographical areas or social classes or periods of time. Some usages are either restricted to, or more usually found in written English rather than spoken English (or vice versa).

Thus the subjunctive mood in English gives rise to many an episode of head-scratching. It is formed from the base form (infinitive) of the verb.

As well as being preserved in fossilized phrases, the subjunctive is used in English to express a command, desire, hypothesis, purpose, doubt, or supposition. May it never rain on your picnics. May your troubles always be small. May it please your majesty. (I hope that it pleases your majesty).

* as it were
* if I were you; were I you
* be that as it may
* (May God) bless you!
* come Monday (Tuesday, etc.)
* come what may
* (May God) damn it!
* May it please your majesty.
* far be it from (or for) me
* till death do us part
* (May) God save our gracious Queen; long live our noble Queen.
* (May) Heaven forfend/forbid
* so be it
* suffice it to say
* woe betide
* (May) peace be with you
* long live the king
* the powers that be
* albeit (a synthesis of all be it, i.e. although it be)
* truth be told
* rue the day
* would that it were
* God rest ye merry gentlemen




Your late father sounds like a wise man.

Thanks for the kind words about my late father.

Best wishes.