Q: Which sentence is correct: "The last thing he needed WAS fireworks" or "The last thing he needed WERE fireworks"? Does the verb apply to "thing" or "fireworks"? Is "fireworks" plural or singular? I asked around the office and nobody was sure. — Joe D'Aniello, Rocky Hill, Connecticut

A: The last thing you need is office fireworks, so I'll try to defuse this explosive controversy. Why am I thinking of Dunder Mifflin?

To answer your second question first, "fireworks" is usually regarded as a plural noun, as in, "The fireworks were spectacular." But if you're thinking of a fireworks display as an event, "fireworks" could be treated as a singular, as in "The fireworks is the best part of the festival."

However, in the sentence you asked about, the singularity or plurality of "fireworks" doesn't affect the choice of verb. The subject of the sentence is "thing" and the verb ("was") must agree with the singular subject not the noun following the verb.

Like a loyal spouse, the verb remains faithful to its original subject, even if that plural noun sets off romantic fireworks, e.g., "The best indicator of successful fireworks IS the 'oohs' and 'ahs' of the crowd."

Likewise, a plural noun takes a plural verb regardless of later singular nouns: "The 'oohs' and 'ahs' of the crowd ARE the best indicator of a successful fireworks display."

Q: If "Ms." isn't an abbreviation, such as "Mr." for "Mister," why do we place a period after it? — Ed Gasser, via email

A: Actually, "Ms." IS an abbreviation because it's a blending of "Mrs." and "Miss." Ms. is also preferred because it's consistent with the abbreviated courtesy titles "Mr." and "Mrs."

Another punctuation question that comes up, well, periodically, is whether to place a period after the middle letter in the name of President Harry S. Truman. Truman's parents gave him the middle initial "S" to honor his grandfathers Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young.

Thus, because the "S" didn't stand for a specific name, Truman used no period until he became president. That's when fuddy-duddy newspaper editors told him the absence of a period in his name was setting a bad example for children. From then on, he and the editors rendered his name as "Harry S. Truman."

Perhaps Truman had his new, empowering period in mind during the 1948 Soviet blockade of Berlin. Vowing to keep U.S. troops in the city, he stated forthrightly, "We stay in Berlin. Period."

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His book, "Mark My Words," is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to WordGuy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

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