I need to know if the verb form should be singular or plural in such sentences.
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2You're probably thinking of the period as a monolithic whole, so use singular agreement: was. – Lawrence Aug 01 '17 at 07:32
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Welcome to ELU. "Forty centuries" here refers to a period of time, which is singular. – Kris Aug 01 '17 at 08:31
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"Forty centuries was a long time" is correct. though it's a plural noun, it makes sense of a singular meaning. for example, forty kilometers is a long distance to walk.
Emamul
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There's two subtle different meanings of "time" at play here.
If you were to say "Forty centuries is a long time" then it's a simple statement of fact, which applies at any point in time, past, present or future.
With "Forty centuries was a long time" it sounds like you are talking about something that happened to you (or someone else), ie a specific time period. That's because the use of "was" implies it's no longer a universal thing, like with "is", and that you must be talking about something more concrete and specific.
It's unlikely that you mean the second sense, since nobody ever experienced a forty-century time period.
Max Williams
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@Kris I went for the colloquial rather than the more formally correct "there are". :) – Max Williams Aug 01 '17 at 08:34
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@Kris I think tense and number are related here, due to the modifying effect of "was" on the meaning of the sentence, which goes beyond the plural/singular question. – Max Williams Aug 01 '17 at 08:35
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We are on Q&A for "English Language & Usage" and the OP has just joined in. – Kris Aug 01 '17 at 08:35