Grammar Q.

“Along the side of the winding country road stretch a long line of pine trees and a low, crumbling stone wall covered with both moss and snow”

The answer seems to come intuitively to a good student. But I just want to make sure know what is being tested here (ie, why this version is incorrect).

Does, “a long line of pine trees and low, crumbling…….”, constitute a compound noun and therefore requires the plural “stretch”?

As always, your diligence is appreciated man.

Yeah—the line of trees and the stone wall are two separate things that both stretch along the side of the country road, so you need a plural verb (stretch).

But wait—you said that version is incorrect? I’m pretty sure that, as you’ve written it, it’s correct.