Page 63 - Basic English Grammar Student Textbook short

Compound Subjects Joined by Or, Nor

When a compound subject is joined by or, nor, either...or, or neither...nor, the verb agrees with the subject
closest to the verb.
Examples:
1. Either Joan or the students are here to help you. (Students, which is plural, is the subject closest to the
verb, so the verb must be plural.)
2. Either the students or Joan is here to help you. (Joan, which is singular, is now the subject closest to the
verb, so the verb must be singular.)

Practice 12B: Type the correct verb in the blank.
1. Jeff and Mark laugh / laughs often.
2. The manager and the employee was / were leaving the building.
3. Either the manager or the two employees is / are leaving tomorrow.
4. Either the two employees or the manager is / are leaving tomorrow.
5. John or Matthew was / were telling her the story.

Phrases Between Subjects and Verbs
The number (singular or plural) of a subject is not affected by phrases between the subject and the verb.
1. The boats on the river need cleaning.
2. The laptop, including the cables and speakers, was left on the desk.
Questions and Sentences Beginning with There or Here
If a sentence asks a question or begins with there or here, carefully reword the sentence, so you can locate the
subject and make the verb agree with it.
1. What are the names of your children? The names of your children are __________.
2. There are thirty-five pages in this chapter. Thirty-five pages are in this chapter.
3. Here are the lessons for the class. The lessons for the class are here.

Practice 12C: Type the correct verb.
1. John, along with his parents, was / were afraid to leave the country.
2. Mrs. Larsen, together with her students, is / are leaving for lunch.
3. There is / are fifteen candles in the bag.
4. What is / are the students doing tomorrow?
5. The students of the college was / were enjoying their professors.

Verbs Must Agree with Pronoun Subject

1. Verbs must agree with their pronoun subjects.
2. The same rules for noun subjects apply to pronoun subjects:
Singular pronouns take singular verb (have "s"); plural pronouns take plural verbs (no "s")
3. The indefinite pronouns cause problems. See table below to identify singular, plural, or either.

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