Subject-Verb Agreement, Compound Subjects
Jared Aragona
Subject-verb agreement, compound subjects: Compound subjects combined with “and” take a plural verb form. Compound subjects combined with “or” “nor” or “but” must agree with the closest subject. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.
Compound subjects with “and” = plural
Isabella and Alejandro study at the library.
The library and university center offer places to study.
Compound subjects with “or,” “nor,” and “but” agree with the nearest verb.
Neither Isabella nor Alejandro works in the lab after lunch on Tuesday.
Everyone but Isabella thinks the lab should be open in the evenings.
The MLCKRB (Master List Code Key and Rule Book): An English Grammar & Style Handbook by Jared Aragona, CC BY 4.0