How to choose verb after "there" in beginning of sentence?


Cambridge "Advanced Grammar in Use" provides following rule in Unit 95C:



If the noun phrase consists of two or more nouns in a list, we use a singular verb if the first noun is singular or uncountable, and a plural verb if the first noun is plural:



  • When I opened the fridge there was only a bottle of milk, some eggs, and butter.

  • When I opened the fridge there were only some eggs, a bottle of milk, and butter.



But Grammar Girl in episode 278 Oddness When You Start a Sentence with "There Is" gives completely different explanation:



A listener reader named Joe wants to know whether he should say, "There is a couch and a coffee table in the room," or "There are a couch and a coffee table in the room."


...


It's a compound subject since it has two nouns connected by the word "and," which makes it plural ... Now that you know the subject is "a couch and a coffee table" and that it's plural, it's easy to choose the right verb: "are."



I'm somewhat confused by these contradictory rules. Could someone explain what I'm missing here?




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