Explain the concept of subject-verb agreement with compound subjects.

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Explain the concept of subject-verb agreement with compound subjects.

Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammatical rule that ensures that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number. When dealing with compound subjects, which are formed by joining two or more subjects with coordinating conjunctions such as "and," "or," or "nor," it is important to understand how this rule applies.

In general, when a compound subject is joined by the coordinating conjunction "and," the verb that follows should be plural. This is because the subjects are acting together as a unit, indicating multiple individuals or things. For example, in the sentence "John and Mary are going to the party," the compound subject "John and Mary" is plural, so the verb "are" is also plural.

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. If the compound subjects are considered a single unit or refer to the same person or thing, the verb should be singular. This occurs when the compound subject is preceded by words such as "each," "every," "either," "neither," or "no." For instance, in the sentence "Each boy and girl is responsible for their own homework," the compound subject "Each boy and girl" is treated as a singular unit, so the verb "is" is singular.

Additionally, when the compound subjects are joined by the coordinating conjunctions "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the subject closest to it. If the closest subject is singular, the verb should be singular, and if the closest subject is plural, the verb should be plural. For example, in the sentence "Neither the cat nor the dogs are allowed on the couch," the verb "are" agrees with the plural subject "dogs."

It is important to carefully identify the subject and its number in a sentence with compound subjects to ensure subject-verb agreement. By understanding these rules, one can effectively construct grammatically correct sentences with compound subjects.