When you use "or," should you follow with singular or plural?

[DanielScocco]

Here is a sentence that got me confused:

"that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were/was."

What is the correct form, were or was?

Similarly one could say:

"Is/Are your car or ship blue?"

Maeve come to our help!

[Maeve]

Here is a sentence that got me confused:

"that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were/was."

What is the correct form, were or was?

Similarly one could say:

"Is/Are your car or ship blue?"

Maeve come to our help!

Here I come, swinging in on my vine.

...what your experience or achievement was
Is your car or ship blue?

And if your or joins words of different number, here's the rule according to my tattered copy of Walsh:


If a subject is composed of both singular and plural forms joined by or or nor, the verb must agree with the nearer:

Neither he nor the boys play golf.
The other boys or Henry is to blame.