A compound subject consists of two or more nouns (Adam and Eve, cowboy and cowgirl), pronouns (your and I, he and she), or noun phrases (a basket of rotten eggs, a layer of dirt). Together, they form the subject of a sentence.
Two or more subjects or nouns that are combined to form a compound subject take a plural verb.
Examples:
-
Forks and spoons have
always been together during dinnertime.
- Peter and Paul were two black birds.
-
Dick, Tom and Harry are triplets.
- He, his dog and I are best friends.
- The grandfather, the father and the son all have beards.
If the nouns that make up a compound subject are joined by or and both are singular, a singular verb is used.
Examples:
- His father or mother is a professor of insecticides.
- Chicken soup or duck soup makes no difference to me because I like all soups.
If the nouns that make up a compound subject are singular and plural, the verb agrees with the noun nearer to it.
Examples:
- His killers or killer is still at large.
- A big box or smaller boxes do not matter to him for the storage.
- The clock or the watch or both are not accurate; they tell different times.
Subjects can be infinitives. (An infinitive begins with to followed by the simple form of the verb.) Two infinitives joined by or or and to form a subject take the singular or plural form of the verb.
Examples:
-
To own
or
to manage
a livesock farm involves a lot of work.
-
To dive
and to swim are
my hobbies.
Subjects can be gerunds. (Gerund is derived from a verb that ends in –ing but functions as a noun). One gerund takes a singular verb. When two gerunds are joined by the conjunction and, the verb that follows is plural.
Examples:
-
Cycling is an enjoyable pastime.
-
Walking and jogging have always been my favourite forms of exercises.