Subject-Verb Agreement with Compound Subjects

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What is subject-verb agreement?

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Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

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What is a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects that are joined by a conjunction and share the same verb.

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When do you use a singular verb with a compound subject?

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Use a singular verb when the compound subjects are connected by 'or' or 'nor' and refer to a single entity.

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When do you use a plural verb with a compound subject?

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Use a plural verb when the compound subjects are connected by 'and' and refer to multiple entities.

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Example of a compound subject using 'and':

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"The cat and the dog are playing outside." (plural verb 'are')

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Example of a compound subject using 'or':

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"Either the teacher or the students are responsible for the project." (singular verb 'is')

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What verb form is used with 'neither/nor'?

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Use a verb form that agrees with the nearest subject when using 'neither/nor'.

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Example of 'neither/nor' with a singular verb:

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"Neither the manager nor the assistant provides the report." (singular verb 'provides')

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What verb form is used with 'either/or'?

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Use a verb form that agrees with the nearest subject when using 'either/or'.

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Example of 'either/or' with a singular verb:

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"Either the dog or the cat is making noise." (singular verb 'is')