There have been a question, find the error in the following sentence,
The sum and substance of this poem is as follows.
I think the problem is the is in is as follows, because sum and substance are two things. But somebody told me that when we say something like A and B, the whole phrase acts as a singular thing and we should say A and B is. But this sounds odd.
Best Answer
It is an idiom. Another well-known combination of the same nature is "part and parcel". Both are used with singular verb forms.