Subject-Verb Agreement with "and, or, nor" (to be verbs)

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

Front

When using 'and' with subjects, how does it affect the verb?

Back

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

Front

Example of subject-verb agreement with 'and':

Back

John and Mary are going to the party.

Front

When using 'or' with subjects, how does it affect the verb?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Front

Example of subject-verb agreement with 'or':

Back

Either the cat or the dog is the culprit.

Front

What is the rule for 'nor' in subject-verb agreement?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Front

Example of subject-verb agreement with 'nor':

Back

Neither the mother nor the children are at home.

Front

What is the correct verb form for 'The dog and the cat ____ playing in the garden'?

Back

The correct verb form is 'are'.

Front

What is the correct verb form for 'Either the pen or the pencils ____ missing'?

Back

The correct verb form is 'are'.

Front

What is the correct verb form for 'Neither the teacher nor the students ____ present'?

Back

The correct verb form is 'are'.