Subject-verb agreement is an important aspect of grammar that ensures the clarity and accuracy of sentences. When there are multiple nouns in a sentence, it can be challenging to determine which one is the subject and which verb should agree with it.
In English, the subject and verb must agree in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural too. There are times when multiple nouns are involved in a sentence, making it challenging to determine whether the verb should be singular or plural.
To determine the correct verb to use, you need to identify the subject of the sentence. The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. It can be a single noun or multiple nouns.
When there are multiple nouns in a sentence, the verb must agree with the noun closest to it. For example, in the sentence “The cat and dog sleep on the couch,” the verb “sleep” agrees with the noun “dog,” which is closest to it. If we change the sentence to “The dog and cat sleep on the couch,” the verb “sleep” would still agree with the noun “dog,” because it is the closest noun to it.
However, in some cases, multiple nouns are connected by “and,” which means they are both the subject of the sentence. In this case, the verb must be plural. For example, in the sentence “The cat and the dog are sleeping on the couch,” the verb “are sleeping” agrees with both the nouns “cat” and “dog.”
Another example could be “My mother and father are coming to visit me this weekend.” Here, the verb “are coming” agrees with the plural noun “mother and father.”
It`s also important to pay attention to indefinite pronouns like “everyone,” “anyone,” and “someone.” These pronouns are considered singular, so the verb that follows them should also be singular. For example, “Everyone wants to go to the movies,” not “Everyone want to go to the movies.”
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement can be tricky when dealing with multiple nouns in a sentence. By identifying the subject and determining whether it is singular or plural, you can choose the correct verb to ensure that your sentence is clear and accurate. Remember, when in doubt, choose the noun closest to the verb, or use a plural verb if multiple nouns are both the subject of the sentence.