COMPOUND SUBJECTS AND
CONFUSING SUBJECTS
Day 2 of Agreement
Pages 574-577
WRITE THIS CHART!
Compound Subject Verb
Singular and Singular = Plural
Plural and Plural = Plural
Singular and Plural = Plural
Plural and Singular = Plural
*Exception: Each/E(word) before and
OR or NOR (Pick the Closest)
Singular or Singular = Singular
Plural or Singular = Singular
Singular or Plural = Plural
Plural or Plural = Plural
COMPOUND SUBJECTS
Singular and Singular = Plural
Plural and Plural = Plural
Singular and Plural = Plural
Plural and Singular = Plural
*Exception: Each/E(word) before and
OR or NOR (Pick the Closest)
Singular or Singular = Singular
Plural or Singular = Singular
Singular or Plural = Plural
Plural or Plural = Plural
A compound subject joined by and is
generally plural and must have a plural
verb

Wind and rain exist on Earth.

Winds and rainstorms exist on Earth.

Winds and rain exist on Earth.
EXCEPTION!!!

Singular and Singular = Plural
Plural and Plural = Plural
Singular and Plural = Plural
Plural and Singular = Plural
*Exception: Each/E(word) before and
OR or NOR (Pick the Closest)
Singular or Singular = Singular
Plural or Singular = Singular
Singular or Plural = Plural
Plural or Plural = Plural
Exception to this rule-when the parts of the
compound subject equal one thing and when the
word each or every is used before a compound
subject. Then use a singular verb.

Macaroni and cheese is an easy dish to make.

Each man and woman was waving a flag.
COMPOUND SUBJECTS
Two or more singular subjects joined by or or nor
must have a singular verb

Either Jupiter or Saturn makes a fascinating
topic of study.
Two or more plural subjects joined by or or nor
must have a plural verb

Space probes or space shuttles provide
information about space.
COMPOUND SUBJECTS
If one or more singular subjects are joined to one or
more plural subjects by or or nor, the subject
closest to the verb determines agreement


Neither atmosphere nor clouds exist on Mercury.
Neither clouds nor atmosphere exists on
Mercury.
CONFUSING SUBJECTS
Hard to find subjects- When a subject comes after
its verb, the verb must still agree with the subject
in number
A sentence in which the subject comes after its verb
is said to be inverted-you can check the subjectverb agreement by mentally putting the sentence
in the normal subject-verb order


Which of the science reports has she read?
(She has read which of the science reports?)
SUBJECTS OF LINKING VERBS
A linking verb must agree with its subject,
regardless of the number of the predicate
nominative (the noun or pronoun that renames,
identifies, or explains the subject)

Moon craters are one sign of meteor storms.

One sign of meteor storms is moon craters.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
A collective noun takes a singular verb when the
group it names acts as a single unit

The class is excited to be learning about the solar
system.
A collective noun takes a plural verb when the
group it names act as individuals with different
points of view

The class are unable to decide which planets to
discuss in their reports.
NOUNS THAT LOOK LIKE PLURALS
Nouns that are plural in form, but singular in
meaning take singular verbs
Some of these nouns are singular names for
branches of knowledge: acoustics, civics, economics
etc.

Physics is a challenging subject. (S)

My lost eyeglasses were behind the sofa. (P)