Uncountable followed by countable nouns - "is" or "are"?

Question

I have a question about the following sentence:

The only artwork in evidence is/are some Greek vases and terracotta objects.

Is it "artwork" that selects the verb-form (therefore "is"), or "Greek vases and terracotta objects" ("are")?

I know the problem could be solved by saying "artworks", but in the context it's talking about a lack of artwork in the surroundings in general, i.e. wall frescoes, mosaics, carvings etc, so the uncountable "artwork" is more appropriate.

The only artworks/works of art in evidence are some Greek vases and terracotta objects. — mplungjan, Apr 24 '18 at 11:32
Singular "is" is fine, despite the number mismatch between the singular subject and the plural predicative. — BillJ, Apr 24 '18 at 11:57
'The only artwork is evidenced by some Greek vases and terracotta objects.' — Nigel J, Apr 24 '18 at 12:51

score -1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 24 '18 at 14:41

The verb should agree with the number and person of the subject, not of the object. In the sentence in question,the subject The artwork is uncountable ( singular). So, the verb should agree with it, that is is.

As a collective noun artwork means:

the pieces of art, such as drawings and photographs, that are used in books, newspapers, and magazines:

All the artwork in the book has been done by the author.

Uncountable followed by countable nouns - "is" or "are"?

1 Answers1