Compound Subject
Summary
In a compound subject, two or more subjects join together to share the verb in a sentence.
- The dog and the cat sat on the rug.
- In this documentary, students, parents, and teachers share experiences of remote learning.
Two issues to watch out for with compound subjects are pronoun usage and verb agreement. Use a subject pronoun (e.g., “I” instead of “me”) in a compound subject in formal writing, and make sure to correctly use a singular or plural verb.
- Rita and I/
mediscussed this yesterday. - Farley and Poco
has/have stolen my car. - Either Farley or Poco is/
arethe thief.
What is a compound subject?
A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects joined together to share the same verb in a sentence. Words like and are used to connect multiple phrases to form a compound subject.
- Lulu sings + Anita sings = Lulu and Anita sing.
Two subjects (Lulu + Anita) joined by and share the same verb (sing).
When two or more subjects join together to form a compound subject, they share the predicate.
- Rita and her friends are building a spaceship in school.
Two noun phrases (Rita + her friends) form a compound subject to then share the rest of the sentence, or the predicate.
- My sister and her husband have opened a new store on Mars.
- The little white cat and the big black dog are the best of friends.
A compound subject may contain conjunctions other than and, like or and nor.
- Rita or Nesbit will send you the data today.
- Neither my sister nor my father has called.
A compound subject may comprise only singular nouns, only plural nouns, or a mix of singular and plural.
- The girl and the boy are riding a canoe.
- Cats and dogs love sleeping on blankets.
- My mother and her sisters are doctors.
- A laptop, some books, and a half-eaten sandwich were on the table.
Your main concern with compound subjects is agreement—that is, use of correct pronouns and verbs in a sentence.
Pronouns in compound subjects
The use of pronouns in a compound subject is governed by grammar rules as well as considerations of formality and politeness. In general, in formal writing, use subject pronouns in a compound subject: I, he, she, and they, rather than me, him, her, and them.
- Tumkin and I are going to the Netherlands.
Tumkin is going + I am going = Tumkin and I are going
- They and Anita are considering organizing an expedition to the North Pole.
- He and the kids are coming over this morning.
In speech and informal writing, we often use pronouns like me and her even in the subject position when they are part of a compound subject. While this is acceptable informally, avoid such usage in formal texts.
- Informal: Me and Tumkin went to Sri Lanka last month.
- Informal: The kids and him are coming over for lunch.
Sometimes, reflexive pronouns like myself and yourself, not generally used in the subject position, are used for the sake of politeness. Such usage is rare but not incorrect, especially in speech.
- You needn’t worry. Anita and myself will handle it.
- Would your wife and yourself like to see the property again?
Verbs with compound subjects
Compound subjects joined by and are usually considered plural and take plural verbs (e.g., are instead of is).
- Lulu, Rita, and Nesbit are going on a trip together.
- Both the book and the movie were interesting.
- They and I have decided to part ways.
Sometimes, two nouns joined by and are thought of as one idea rather than two. Although such a subject contains and, it is treated as singular.
- Eggs and bread is all we can serve for breakfast today.
Two or more singular nouns joined by or, nor, and as well as take singular verbs.
- The store manager or the shift supervisor checks every shipment.
- Either a book or a jigsaw is the perfect gift for him.
- Neither the pasta nor the cake is ready.
- This sweater as well as that shirt needs a wash.
When one of the nouns is singular and the other plural, the verb generally agrees with the noun closest to it.
- Either a ticket to Mars or some science-fiction books are the perfect gift for him.
- Neither the cakes nor the pasta is ready.
Common mistakes
In formal writing, be careful to use the correct pronoun in a compound subject. Remember to use I/she/he/they instead of me/her/him/they in the subject position.
- You and I will always be together.
- She and Maya saw a tiny little alien in their backyard.
Also remember that a compound subject containing and is usually plural. In contrast, singular noun phrases joined by or, nor, or as well as are considered singular and take singular verbs.
- The house and the farm are both for sale.
- Either the shop or the farm has to be sold.
Also watch out for excessively long compound subjects made up of multiple noun phrases. It’s easy to mistakenly use the wrong verb form with such subjects.
- Incorrect: One in five participants who received the placebo and one in ninety who received the vaccine has developed symptoms.
Since the noun adjacent to the verb is “vaccine,” the writer may be fooled into using a singular verb. In fact, the compound subject has two noun phrases joined by and. It is therefore plural.
- Correct: One in five participants who received the placebo and one in ninety who received the vaccine have developed symptoms.
Moreover, if the subject is overly long, readers may find it hard to follow along. By the time they reach the end of the sentence, they may have forgotten what it is you were talking about.
- Poor: The results of the experiments conducted during the second phase of the study and the answers to the questionnaires given to participants polled during the first phase are combined to present a comprehensive picture.
- Better: Results obtained during the study’s second phase are combined with participants’ answers from the first phase to present a comprehensive picture.