Use the correct subject or verb – with compound subjects

Key Notes :

🌟 Using the Correct Subject or Verb – Compound Subjects 🌟

What is a Compound Subject?

A compound subject is when two or more subjects are joined together and share the same verb.

Example:

• 🐶 The dog and 🐱 the cat are playing in the garden.
• 🍎 Apples and 🍌 bananas are my favorite fruits.

Joining Words for Compound Subjects

Compound subjects are usually joined by these joining words (conjunctions):

Conjunction	Meaning / Use
and	Adds two subjects together → usually plural verb
or	Shows a choice between subjects → verb agrees with nearest subject
nor	Shows a negative choice → verb agrees with nearest subject

Rule 1: With “and” → Use a Plural Verb

• When two subjects are joined by and, the verb is usually plural.

Examples:

• 🌞 The sun and 🌈 the rainbow look beautiful today.
• 🏀 Ravi and 🏐 Meera are playing outside.

Rule 2: With “or” / “nor” → Verb agrees with nearest subject

• If subjects are joined by or or nor, look at the subject closest to the verb.

Examples:

• Either 🍫 chocolate or 🍪 cookies is my favorite snack.
• Neither 🐸 the frog nor 🐍 the snake is in the pond.
• Either 🐍 the snake or 🐸 the frog are in the pond. ✅ (nearest subject “frog” is plural?) – careful! Actually frog is singular, so is.

Special Tip: Mixed Singular & Plural Subjects

If one subject is singular and the other is plural:

1. With and → usually plural verb

• Example: The teacher and the students are ready.

2. With or / nor → verb matches nearest subject

• Example: The teacher or the students are ready.
• Example: The students or the teacher is ready.

Check Your Subject Carefully! 🔍

• Look for the main noun in the subject.
• Ask: “Who or what is doing the action?”
• Match the verb in number (singular/plural) with the subject.

Quick Tricks 🏃

• And = plural verb
• Or / Nor = nearest subject verb
• Singular + plural = check the joining word and nearest subject

Examples to Practice ✅

1. 🐦 The bird and 🐿️ the squirrel are in the tree.
2. 🍎 An apple or 🍌 some bananas is on the table.
3. 🎨 The artist or 🖌️ the students paint the wall.
4. 🏠 My house and 🏡 my neighbor’s house look nice.

Emoji Reminder Chart 📊

Joining Word	Verb Form	Example
and	Plural	🐶 + 🐱 are friends
or / nor	Nearest subject	🍎 or 🍌 is sweet