Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc (IPIX)

[loanranger]

Not so fast. Here's the context and the question:

"87% of today's volume was short sales"

Does that mean that 13% of today's volume was long sales?

ps. Shouldn't that be "were"?


Consider this example and read the explanation calling for the plural form:
There was a pen and three pencils on the table
or
There were a pen and three pencils on the table.

In this example, the singular noun must precede the plural noun. Which verb is the correct one?

"When a sentence begins with "There" and the choice of verb is "is/was" or "are/were," you simply restate the sentence with the actual subject(s) at the beginning. In this case, you would then say, "A pen and three pencils _were_ on the table." Or "Three pencils and a pen were on the table." Clearly "was" would be wrong. "There" holds the place for the subject, which in this case is plural."


The subject in this case is the plural "short sales" so the form of the verb to use is "were".

IMO.