Compound Subject: Definition and Examples

Michael plays basketball.

Jeremiah doesn’t trust pirate radio stations.

Hailey dances in a ballet company.

You likely recognize these statements as simple, declarative sentences that include basic components of grammar—namely a singular subject and a verb that agrees.

When the subject position has two or more nouns or pronouns joined by a coordinating conjunction, we refer to this as a compound subject. As a plural grouping, a compound subject typically corresponds with a plural verb.

Michael and Scottie play basketball.

Jeremiah and Henry don’t trust pirate radio stations.

Hailey, Caitlin, and Shanika dance in a ballet company.

Compound Subjects: What They Achieve

Compound subjects allow us to keep our writing more succinct. Otherwise, it might look more like this:

Michael plays basketball. Scottie plays basketball too.

Jeremiah doesn’t trust pirate radio stations. Henry doesn’t trust pirate radio stations, either.

Hailey dances in a ballet company. Caitlin also dances in a ballet company, as does Shanika.

By using compound subjects, we condense related or similar information. This reduces our word count and saves our audience from crossing extra mental distance in order to understand us.

Compound Subjects: Are They Plural or Singular?

As we touched on, most compound subjects will take a plural verb. However, some constructions will have a singular verb. Whether to use a plural or singular verb will be determined by the conjunction connecting the subjects.

Examples

Jeremiah and Henry don’t trust pirate radio stations. (plural)

Jeremiah or Henry doesn’t trust pirate radio stations. (singular)

In the first sentence, the conjunction and connects the subjects and makes them plural. In the second sentence, the conjunction or separates the subjects and makes them singular.

When we have a compound subject with a conjunction (or) or a correlative conjunction such as either…or, the noun or pronoun closest to the verb decides whether it is singular or plural.

Examples

The dog or the cats are tracking dirt on the floor.

Either the cats or the dog is tracking dirt on the floor.

Neither the dog nor the cats are tracking dirt on the floor.

Some writers might feel that a mixed plural and singular compound subject sounds awkward when the singular noun comes last and prompts the singular verb (the cats or the dog is tracking). The easy solution is to always place the plural subject last when it appears with a singular one (the dog or the cats are tracking).

This can become particularly true when we have longer compound subjects:

Neither Donovan, Napoleon, the Smiths, nor I am going to the bake sale.

Neither I, the Smiths, Napoleon, nor Donovan is going to the bake sale.

Such sentences are better written as:

Neither Donovan, Napoleon, I, nor the Smiths are going to the bake sale.

Donovan, Napoleon, the Smiths, and I are not going to the bake sale.

When the word each or every precedes singular subjects joined by and, we use a singular verb:

Each dog and every cat is tracking dirt on the floor.

Every dog and every cat is tracking dirt on the floor.

When the word each appears after a plural subject, the verb form does not change. If each appears after a compound subject with singular nouns or pronouns, some writers may choose to use either a singular or plural verb.

Examples

The students each have shared where Katrina’s essay might be.
The student and the teacher each have shared where Katrina’s essay might be
The student and the teacher each has shared where Katrina’s essay might be.

They each have shared where Katrina’s essay might be.
The student and she each have shared where Katrina’s essay might be.
She and the student each has shared where Katrina’s essay might be.

Compound Subjects: What Are They Not?

Some grammatical units may appear to be compound subjects but are not.

Examples

Aiding and abetting a criminal is not a good idea.

The bed and breakfast in Albany, Wisconsin, is delightful.

Peanut butter and jelly is popular among sandwiches for kids.

The nouns here are not compound subjects but rather compound nouns representing a single unit. As single units, they take singular verbs.

Now consider these sentences:

Mitaako, as well as Gasimba, is training for the event.

Santos, along with Francisca, rides his bike to work each morning.

Marie, in addition to Marcella, likes to have family over for dinner each month.

Each sentence has a singular subject. What seems to be another subject that would make it compound is a phrase that modifies the singular subject (as well as, along with, in addition to).

Let’s look at one more example:

Billy (and usually his wife) attends every party that offers free food.

Here again it seems we have a compound subject, but parenthetical information is separate from the subject. The sentence has a singular subject (Billy) with a singular verb (attends).

Related Topic

Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples and Rules

Pop Quiz

Identify the subjects and the verb that agrees in the following sentences.

1. Rosie and Stan [owns / own] a coffee shop.

2. Bella or Stevie [work / works] the afternoon shift.

3. Les, along with Buddy, [fix / fixes] broken guitars.

4. Christopher and his brother [want / wants] to study fire science.

5. Each word and every sentence [is / are] important in this document.

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1. Rosie and Stan own a coffee shop.

2. Bella or Stevie works the afternoon shift.

3. Les, along with Buddy, fixes broken guitars.

4. Christopher and his brother want to study fire science.

5. Each word and every sentence is important in this document.

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