Grammar question. Which is correct:
The person or persons are big.
The person or persons is big.
Why?
The former is correct. This is because when parts of a subject are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the nearer part. Sometimes it’s better to rewrite the sentence to avoid what may be a technically correct construction but which sounds awkward anyway.
The plural are something.
The singular is something.
Generally, the word “or” in a subject leads you to use the singular form of the verb. Either Bob or Larry has your money. When this rule doesn’t help you (as in your hairy example), the subject nearest the verb should determine whether the singular or plural is used. The person or persons are big.
and also , it just sounds better. …the persons are vs …the persons is.