Subject-verb agreement is an essential rule in English grammar. The rule states that a singular subject must take a singular verb, while a plural subject must take a plural verb. However, there are some tricky situations where the rule can be a little more complicated. One of those situations is rule number 11.
Rule number 11 states that when two nouns are joined by “and,” “or,” “nor,” or “but,” the verb should agree with the noun closest to it in number. Here are some examples to help clarify this rule:
Example 1: The cat and the dog play in the yard.
In this sentence, “cat” is singular, and “dog” is singular. Therefore, the verb “play” needs to be a plural verb. The correct sentence would be: The cat and the dog play in the yard.
Example 2: Neither the teacher nor the students were satisfied with the test.
In this sentence, “teacher” is singular, and “students” is plural. However, the word “neither” is negative, which means we need to use a singular verb. Therefore, the correct sentence would be: Neither the teacher nor the students was satisfied with the test.
Example 3: My favorite food is pizza, and chicken wings are my favorite appetizer.
In this sentence, “food” is singular, and “chicken wings” is plural. The verb needs to agree with the noun closest to it, which is “chicken wings.” Therefore, the correct sentence would be: My favorite food is pizza, and chicken wings are my favorite appetizer.
Example 4: The lion and tiger fought over the prey, but neither of them was able to win.
In this sentence, “lion” is singular, and “tiger” is singular. However, the word “neither” is negative, which means we need to use a singular verb. Therefore, the correct sentence would be: The lion and tiger fought over the prey, but neither of them was able to win.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential grammar rule in the English language. Rule number 11 can be tricky, but these examples should help you understand it better. Always remember to choose the verb that agrees with the noun closest to it in number to make your writing clear and grammatically correct.
