Compound subject-verb agreement is one of the most important aspects of writing in the English language. It refers to the agreement between the subject (the noun or pronoun that performs the action) and the verb (the action word) in a sentence. In simple terms, compound subject-verb agreement means that the verb agrees with the number of the subject or subjects in a sentence. Here are some compound subject-verb agreement examples to help you better understand this concept.
Example 1: Tom and Jerry are playing together.
In this sentence, “Tom and Jerry” is the compound subject, and “are playing” is the verb. The subject is plural, so the verb also needs to be plural. Hence, it is “are playing” and not “is playing.”
Example 2: My mother and father are coming to the party.
Here, “My mother and father” is the compound subject, and “are coming” is the verb. Since the subject is plural, the verb needs to be plural too. So, it is “are coming” and not “is coming.”
Example 3: The cake, cookies, and ice cream were delicious.
In this sentence, “The cake, cookies, and ice cream” is the compound subject, and “were delicious” is the verb. Since the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well. Therefore, it is “were delicious” and not “was delicious.”
Example 4: Neither the teacher nor the students were satisfied with the result.
In this sentence, “neither the teacher nor the students” is the compound subject, and “were satisfied” is the verb. The subject is plural, so the verb should be plural. Therefore, it is “were satisfied” and not “was satisfied.”
Example 5: Either the cat or the dog is responsible for the mess.
Here, “either the cat or the dog” is the compound subject, and “is responsible” is the verb. The subject is singular, so the verb should be singular too. Therefore, it is “is responsible” and not “are responsible.”
In conclusion, compound subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of writing proper English. These examples show how critical it is to have proper subject-verb agreement in your writing. Keep these in mind, and ensure that you always check your work for proper agreement between the subject and verb. Remember, good writing is all about clarity and coherence, and proper subject-verb agreement is a crucial aspect of achieving that.