Re: Free grammar lessons!
Were, without question. "Krissy and I", since y'all are both doing the same thing, is treated as a plural subject. Plural subject takes a plural verb.
I could write up a ton about this, but I'm going to be lazy and let grammarbook.com say it for me (Note rules 1, 3, and 6 for your question specifically):
Rule 1 Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Rule 2 Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in
Examples Neither John nor Susan is available.
Either Kiana or Casey helps today with stage decorations.
Rule 3 When one of your two subjects is I, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.
Example Neither she nor I am going to the festival.
Rule 4 When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example The book or the magazines are on the shelf.
Rule 5 When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example Neither Jenny nor the others are available.
Rule 6 As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
Example A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
Rule 7 Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Examples The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause
of her shaking.
Rule 8 The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.
Examples Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.
NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.
Rule 9 With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, etc.—look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
NOTE: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. [edit]Guido edit: I'm going to let a different site address this one:
TOMBSTONE: None is always singular.
R.I.P. Not always. In fact, none is more likely to be plural.
Many people seem to have been taught that none always means "not one" (as in, None of the chickens is hatched). But most authorities have always believed that none is closer in meaning to "not any (of them)" than to "not one (of them)." So it's considered plural in most cases and takes a plural verb: None of the chickens are hatched.
None is singular only when it means "none of it"—that is to say, "no amount." (None of the milk was spilled.)
If you really do mean "not one," say "not one."
I'm getting mixed signals regarding this, but just know that 'none' can be singular or plural, and nobody's going to kill you for using either.[/edit]
Examples Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
Pie is the object of the preposition of.
Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
Pies is the object of the preposition.
One-third of the city is unemployed.
One-third of the people are unemployed.
NOTE: Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.
Rule 10 When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Examples Neither of them is available to speak right now.
Either of us is capable of doing the job.
Rule 11 The words here and there are never subjects because they are not nouns. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.
Examples There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Rule 12 Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Examples Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Rule 13 Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of the verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples Charlene is the scientist who write/writes the reports.
The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes.
He is one of the men who does/do the work.
The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.
Rule 14 Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples The staff is in a meeting.
Staff is acting as a unit here.
The staff are in disagreement about the findings.
The staff are acting as separate individuals in this sentence.
The sentence would read even better like this:
The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.
--Guido
Were, without question. "Krissy and I", since y'all are both doing the same thing, is treated as a plural subject. Plural subject takes a plural verb.
I could write up a ton about this, but I'm going to be lazy and let grammarbook.com say it for me (Note rules 1, 3, and 6 for your question specifically):
Rule 1 Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Rule 2 Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in
Examples Neither John nor Susan is available.
Either Kiana or Casey helps today with stage decorations.
Rule 3 When one of your two subjects is I, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.
Example Neither she nor I am going to the festival.
Rule 4 When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example The book or the magazines are on the shelf.
Rule 5 When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example Neither Jenny nor the others are available.
Rule 6 As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
Example A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
Rule 7 Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Examples The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause
of her shaking.
Rule 8 The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.
Examples Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.
NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.
Rule 9 With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, etc.—look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
NOTE: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. [edit]Guido edit: I'm going to let a different site address this one:
TOMBSTONE: None is always singular.
R.I.P. Not always. In fact, none is more likely to be plural.
Many people seem to have been taught that none always means "not one" (as in, None of the chickens is hatched). But most authorities have always believed that none is closer in meaning to "not any (of them)" than to "not one (of them)." So it's considered plural in most cases and takes a plural verb: None of the chickens are hatched.
None is singular only when it means "none of it"—that is to say, "no amount." (None of the milk was spilled.)
If you really do mean "not one," say "not one."
I'm getting mixed signals regarding this, but just know that 'none' can be singular or plural, and nobody's going to kill you for using either.[/edit]
Examples Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
Pie is the object of the preposition of.
Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
Pies is the object of the preposition.
One-third of the city is unemployed.
One-third of the people are unemployed.
NOTE: Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.
Rule 10 When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Examples Neither of them is available to speak right now.
Either of us is capable of doing the job.
Rule 11 The words here and there are never subjects because they are not nouns. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.
Examples There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Rule 12 Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Examples Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Rule 13 Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of the verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Examples Charlene is the scientist who write/writes the reports.
The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes.
He is one of the men who does/do the work.
The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.
Rule 14 Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples The staff is in a meeting.
Staff is acting as a unit here.
The staff are in disagreement about the findings.
The staff are acting as separate individuals in this sentence.
The sentence would read even better like this:
The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.
--Guido
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