The following 15 sentences use compound subjects:

1. Potato chips and cupcakes are bad for you.

2. Uncle Jim, Aunt Sue and my cousin Jake went to Jamaica on vacation.
3. Beth and Kendra read very slowly.
4. The boots by the door and the flip-flops in the living room need to be put away.
5. Neither the boots by the door nor the flip-flops in the living room will be here any more if you
dont put them away.
6. Neither a tall man nor a short man lives in that house.
7. Neither wind nor rain nor sleet nor hail can stop the US Postal Service from delivering the
mail.
8. Neither the rugs downstairs nor the carpet upstairs has been vacuumed.
9. Either you or your brother is going to be punished.
10. Either the chicken or the beef in the freezer needs to be thawed for dinner tonight.
11. Either the matches or the candles caused the fire.
12. Either a rat or the gerbil keeps chewing up all my socks!
13. Everything on the bed and everything in the closet was organized in under an hour.
14. Nobody in the bank and nobody in the store saw the accident.
15. Anyone on the soccer team and anybody on the basketball team is eligible for the
scholarship.

AnswersSubject-verb agreement: Compound subjects

1. Macaroni and cheese a favourite dish among children.

Your answer a) are is incorrect.
The correct answer is b) is.

o a) are
o b) is

Subjects joined by and are usually plural. But sometimes the two subjects form a unit that is
singular in meaning. The compound subject macaroni and cheese represents a single dish; it is
therefore singular in meaning and takes the singular verb is.

2. Neither Victor's sisters nor his brother visited Newfoundland and Labrador.
Your answer b) has is correct.

o a) have
o b) has
 When subjects are joined by neithernor, the verb agrees with the closer subject. In this case,
the closer subject is brother, which takes the singular verb has.

3. Rajeev's wife and soulmate long walks on the beach at sunrise.

Your answer b) enjoy is incorrect.
The correct answer is a) enjoys.

o a) enjoys
o b) enjoy

The words wife and soulmate refer to the same person, forming a unit that is singular in
meaning and takes the singular verb enjoys.

4. Both Shari and I watching old movies.

Your answer b) like is correct.

o a) likes
o b) like

The words Shari and I form a plural that takes the plural verb like.

5. Daniela or her children making brownies for the party.

Your answer a) is is incorrect.
The correct answer is b) are.

o a) is
o b) are

When subjects are joined by or, the verb agrees with the closer subject. In this case, the closer
subject is children, a plural noun that takes the plural verb are.

6. either Banshee or her puppies been vaccinated against rabies?

Your answer b) Has is correct.

o a) Have
 o b) Has

When subjects are joined by eitheror, the verb agrees with the closer subject. In this case, the
closer subject is Banshee, a singular noun that takes the singular verb has.

7. My brother Lucas and his best friend Eli every year to clean up the park.
Your answer a) volunteer is correct.

o a) volunteer
o b) volunteers

The two singular subjects joined by and form a plural that takes the plural verb volunteer.

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