I know that after ordinal numbers (the first, the second etc.) we can use to-infinitive clause. E.g:
Ethan was the last person to understand the joke.
My questions is when the above construction acts as the subject of a sentence. Consider this:
Plant scientists have been trying for years to genetically modify
flowers for aesthetic purposes. The first to go on salewere
blue
carnations produced by Florigene of Melbourne, Australia, in 1996.
What is the criterion for choosing were after the infinitive? (is it in agreement with the first or the first [flowers])
The sentence is taken from: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126952-000-valentines-day-special-say-it-with-flowers/#ixzz726Lu0bW6
Best Answer
This is what is known as synesis, or notional agreement.
It’s “sense over syntax”; the meaning rules the subject-verb agreement.
Compare:
and: