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Agreement when subjects are joined with or or nor

Sometimes subjects are joined with conjunctions that suggest alternatives:

or
nor
either . . . or
neither . . . nor

With these constructions, make the verb agree with the part of the subject nearer to the verb.

Example sentence: A driver's license or credit card is required. Explanation: The singular 'card' is closer to the verb, so the verb is 'is.'

Example sentence: A driver's license or two credit cards are required. Explanation: The plural 'cards' is closer to the verb, so the verb is 'are.'

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: If an infant or a child are having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Revised sentence: If an infant or a child is having difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately. Explanation: The word 'are' has been replaced by 'is.'

The verb is matched with the part of the subject closer to it: child is.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: Neither the teacher nor the students was in the lab. Revised sentence: Neither the teacher nor the students were in the lab. Explanation: The word 'was' has been replaced by 'were.'

The verb is matched with the part of the subject closer to it: students were.

NOTE:If one part of the subject is singular and the other is plural, put the plural one last to avoid awkwardness.

Subject-verb agreement at a glance

When to use the -s (or -es) form of a present-tense verb

Exercises:

Subject-verb agreement 1

Subject-verb agreement 2

Subject-verb agreement 3

Subject-verb agreement 4