<p>Maybe I should be embarrassed to ask this question, but will do so to save face with my BIL; well at least I hope I am right! I will not tell you my opinion on the sentence structure.</p>
<p>Which sentence is correct and why?</p>
<p>Is either of you going to Costco today for any reason?
Are either of you going to Costco today for any reason?</p>
<p>Or should the sentence have been reworded?</p>
<p>“Either” is always singular, so “Is” is correct.</p>
<p>^^^^ correct.</p>
<p>Do you need a third? “Either is…” is correct, for silver’s reasoning.</p>
<p>We found this at on an online grammar site; since the example was the same as our sample sentence above, we thought this might apply:</p>
<p>In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is particularly true of interrogative constructions: “Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?” “Are either of you taking this seriously?”</p>
<p>^ With the keyword being “informal.”</p>
<p>Since you’re looking for a strict grammarian, the answer is “is.” The grammar site, however, is describing what people often say–and when enough people say something, it begins to sound right. Eventually it may even be recognized as correct. We’re almost there, I think, with respect to using “their” as a gender-neutral singular possessive pronoun.</p>
<p>Some people in New Jersey pluralize ‘you’ as ‘yous’, so you could incorporate that into your re-wording!</p>
<p>Wow, I understand that “is” is correct, but it sounds so awkward.</p>
<p>If you changed it to “any” instead of “either,” that more legitimately could be treated as either singular or plural. But Hunt is correct - although I’m not yet willing to concede that “their” is an appropriate singular possessive pronoun.</p>
<p>Hunt is correct.</p>
<p>I hope I am turning in my grave when “Me and Tim ____” is recognized as correct. Goodness knows, most of the under 30 set around here think it sounds correct, along with “have ate, have went, etc.” </p>
<p>I really teachers in the last 20 years had instilled grammar like they did when we were in elem. school.</p>
<p>and so, looking at post 5 and 6, given the question posed by the OP, I suspect that it is informal. Sounds like someone asking a friend or relative a simple question, rather than a legal document or English Comp paper.</p>
<p>could someone 'splain to me the difference between * affect* and * effect*?</p>
<p>I just can’t keep it straight.
:o</p>
<p>“affect” is a verb that roughly means “to influence.” “effect” is a noun that means “result”; it can also be a verb that means “to bring about.”</p>
<p>to influence - to bring about</p>
<p>but to my dyslexic little mind- those sound like the same thing.</p>
<p>Ill try to think of a sentence.</p>
<p>( I also think Don/Dawn, Hock/Hawk,Caller/Collar sound the same.
On/Lawn/John all rhyme, & so do Merry/Mary & Marry.)</p>
<p>However Tent/Tint, and Heel/Hill are pronounced differently</p>
<p>but I don’t have an accent.
;)</p>
<p>Passed - why are all the young people spelling past this way?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>And to keep it fun, affect is also a noun when it’s used to describe a person’s expression of emotion and effect is also a noun as in a person’s personal effects.</p>
<p>younghoss-This sentence was sent in an email to two inlaws; so yes it was informal, but not sure even in this case that both would be considered correct. </p>
<p>OK, now I will fess up. While grammatically I know the first sentence with “Is” is correct, I do think the sentence with “Are” sounds better. Well, to the ears of this adult with some grammar LD issues it does! I also can not ready phonetically, but that doesn’t give me the right to speak and write like a 4 year old.</p>
<p>Did the scary movie affect you?
Yes, it had quite an effect on my nerves.
I knew something was wrong because of your unusual affect.
Indeed, I ran out of the theater, leaving my personal effects behind.
Ah, you effected a quick getaway.
In effect, yes.</p>
<p>(Note: “affect” as a noun is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable–it’s primarily a psychiatric term describing how somebody behaves/appears.)</p>
<p>Hunt, can I steal that? I spend half my life explaining effect/affect to students.</p>