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