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.
The Origins of Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve. Valentineâs Day can be an occasion for quirky expressions of love. Actress Raquel Torres, by Ruth Harriet Louis, 1920s. It was during the Roman Empire that St. Valentine is said to have left a note to his jailerâs daughter, âFrom your Valentineâ before his execution on February 14.