Grammar Agreement Questions Medium
Agreement with subordinate conjunctions depends on the relationship between the main clause and the subordinate clause. In general, the verb in the main clause should agree with the subject of the main clause, regardless of the subordinate conjunction used.
However, there are a few specific cases where agreement may vary:
1. When the subordinate clause begins with "if" or "whether": In this case, the verb in the main clause can be singular or plural, depending on the subject of the main clause. For example:
- If she goes to the party, I will go too. (singular verb)
- If they go to the party, I will go too. (plural verb)
2. When the subordinate clause begins with "as well as" or "along with": In this case, the verb in the main clause should agree with the subject that comes before the subordinate conjunction. For example:
- The teacher, as well as the students, is excited about the field trip. (singular verb)
- The students, as well as the teacher, are excited about the field trip. (plural verb)
3. When the subordinate clause begins with "either...or" or "neither...nor": In this case, the verb in the main clause should agree with the subject that is closest to it. For example:
- Neither the cat nor the dogs are allowed on the couch. (plural verb)
- Either the cat or the dogs is responsible for the mess. (singular verb)
Overall, agreement with subordinate conjunctions follows the general rules of subject-verb agreement, but there are a few specific cases where the agreement may vary based on the relationship between the main and subordinate clauses.