Question

Explain the subject-verb agreement rule that applies to a singular and a plural subject joined by or/nor. Demonstrate your understanding of the rule by composing a sentence using the compound subject "Neither Tommy nor his dancers."

Answer 1

Answer:

When a singular and a plural subject are joined by either/or and neither/nor, the main rule applied here is always use the verb form according to the form of the closest subject. If the closest subject is singular, then use a singular verb. If the closest subject is plural, use a plural verb.

With the given compound subject, an example sentence would be:

Neither Tommy nor his dancers are informed about the changes of tomorrow's presentation. Notice that the verb used is "are", because the closest subject is the word "dancers".

Explanation:

Subjects and verbs must agree with each other in number for a sentence to make sense. Even though grammar can be a bit quirky from time to time, there are 20 rules of subject-verb agreement that sum up the topic quite concisely. Most of the concepts of subject-verb agreement are straightforward, but exceptions to the rules can make it more complicated.

Answer 2

When a singular and a plural subject are joined by either/or and neither/nor, the main rule applied here is always use the verb form according to the form of the closest subject. If the closest subject is singular, then use a singular verb. If the closest subject is plural, use a plural verb. 
With the given compound subject, an example sentence would be:
Neither Tommy nor his dancers are informed about the changes of tomorrow's presentation. Notice that the verb used is "are", because the closest subject is the word "dancers".