- There is an apple and an orange on the table.
- There are an apple and an orange on the table.
Which is grammatical?
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Yes, "or". Some people use one, and some the other. – Peter Shor Nov 30 '13 at 14:06
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This exact same example has been posted before. Please search the site before asking. Thank you. – RegDwigнt Nov 30 '13 at 16:53
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Are is preferred with and.
Is is used with or.
hildred
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No, not necessarily true. "There is a church and a school in the local village." "There is milk and eggs in the fridge" – Mari-Lou A Nov 30 '13 at 16:44
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1Not necessarily not necessarily true. "There are a church and a school in the local village." "There are milk and eggs in the fridge." Surely the deciding factor amongst non-prescriptivists is whether A and B are seen as separate items in a list, or (A + B) is seen as a composite: 'Bacon and eggs are too expensive for most people to be able to afford in Elbonia.' / 'Bacon and eggs is on the menu.' – Edwin Ashworth Nov 30 '13 at 23:13