Compound subjects and the verbs
A compound subject consists of two or more nouns (Adam and Eve, cowboy and cowgirl), pronouns (your and I, he and she), or noun phrases (a basket of rotten eggs, a layer of dirt). Together, they form the subject of a sentence .
Two or more subjects or nouns that are combined to form a compound subject take a plural verb.
Examples:
- Forks and spoons have always been together during dinnertime.
- Peter and Paul were two black birds.
- Dick , Tom and Harry are triplets.
- He , his dog and I are best friends.
- The grandfather , the father and the son all have beards.
If the nouns that make up a compound subject are joined by or and both are singular, a singular verb is used.
Examples:
- His father or mother is a professor of insecticides.
- Chicken soup or duck soup makes no difference to me because I like all soups.
If the nouns that make up a compound subject are singular and plural, the verb agrees with the noun nearer to it.
Examples:
- His killers or killer is still at large.
- A big box or smaller boxes do not matter to him for the storage.
- The clock or the watch or both are not accurate; they tell different times.
Subjects can be infinitives. (An infinitive begins with
to
followed by the simple form of the verb.) Two infinitives joined by
or
or
and
to form a subject take the singular or plural form of the verb.
Examples:
- To own or to manage a livestock farm involves a lot of work.
- To dive and to swim are my hobbies.
Subjects can be gerunds . (Gerund is derived from a verb that ends in –ing but functions as a noun). One gerund takes a singular verb. When two gerunds are joined by the conjunction and , the verb that follows is plural.
Examples:
- Cycling is an enjoyable pastime.
- Walking and jogging have always been my favorite forms of exercises.
- Barking at strangers and chasing cats are what my dog does most of the time.