GRAMMAR
Pat, like the others, was determined to finish on time. A parcel, along with a multitude of letters, was delivered the next day. The house, with all its contents, was heavily insured. Anxiety about her health, in addition to her financial woes, has led her to seek counseling. Mitzi, accompanied by her husband, was trundling up the path. His perseverance, no less than his pleasant manner, makes him a credible candidate for the job. Their country place, including the guest cottage, is worth about fifty thousand. The entire room, except the two side doors, is to be painted.
Of course, if the subject preceding the parenthetical phrase is plural, the verb is plural. Just be sure to disregard the parenthetical text when determining the form of the verb. Note: The parenthetical phrases in the above examples are enclosed in commas. While technically these are proper, some writers may choose to drop them for reasons of style. If you omit the commas, this does not affect the rule described above: You would still disregard the parenthetical text as far as the verb is concerned. For example: The library as well as the chapel stands on a rolling green hill.
A final word on these types of construction: They may be correct, but there is no denying they sometimes sound awkward. You may in some cases want to consider joining the subjects with and instead. The professor and her graduate students were just entering the building. A parcel and a multitude of letters were delivered the next day.
DISTRACTING MODIFYING NOUNS When a subject is followed by a phrase that further defines it, writers sometimes mistake the noun contained in this phrase for the subject itself. Consider the following three sentences: This set is not complete. These instructions are not complete. This set of instructions is not complete.
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