This compound subject, therefore, requires a singular verb to agree with it. SUBJECT-VERB RULE #2 Two or more SINGULAR subjects joined by or (or nor) act as a singular compound subject and, therefore, take a singular verb to agree.
For example, You can't help but see how he feels about her; he wears his heart on his sleeve. Shakespeare had it in Othello (1:1): But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at. People who wear their heart on their sleeve express their emotions freely and openly, for all to see.
In Ch. 2, Finny wears a pink shirt as an emblem to celebrate a bombing in Central Europe. He wears the shirt, despite Geneâs teasing, to symbolize his patriotism and support of the war. Ironically, Finny shows his support in a nonconformist way that succeeds in attracting attention.