SHSAT/SAT Grammar Made Simple: Compound Subjects (And/Or)
- David Park
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Subject Verb Agreement is one of those grammar concepts that shows up again and again on the SHSAT and SAT. But what does it mean for a subject and a verb to “agree”?
It doesn’t mean they share the same opinion. It simply means they match in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.
Here’s a very basic example:
The clown is sad.
In the sentence, “the clown” is the subject and is singular, so we use the singular verb “is" and not the plural verb "are".
Of course, if the subject were plural, the verb would need to be plural as well.
The clowns are sad.
So far, this seems simple enough, but what if it’s not immediately clear whether the subject is singular or plural, as is sometimes the case with compound subjects?
Compound Subjects joined by "and"
Example 1: The pen and the sword are on the desk.
Most of the time, compound subjects joined by “and” take a plural verb even when component subjects are singular. Of course, there are a few important exceptions:
1) If the two nouns act as one single idea or unit, we use a singular verb:
Macaroni and cheese is always delicious.
2) If the compound subject is preceded by each or every, use a singular verb:
Every car and bicycle was photographed by the diligent photographer.
Compound Subjects joined by "or" (or "nor")
Compound subjects joined by “or” (or “nor”) work a little differently. In those cases, the verb agrees with the noun that is closest to it.
Example 1:
An apple, an orange, or two bananas are what Jake eats for breakfast every morning.
Example 2:
Two bananas, an apple, or an orange is what Jake eats for breakfast every morning.
We hope that this mini review lessonb about subject verb agreement and compound subjects will help you ace the SHSAT and SAT. We have no doubt that with a little practice, you will add mastery of this grammar concept to your arsenal and go on to ace whatever tests stand in your way. May all your subjects and verbs agree from now on!
