LanguageTeach

San Jose City College

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MAKING SUBJECTS AND VERBS AGREE

Part VII: SVA with subjects joined by or, nor, either...or, and neither...nor

When using the conjunctions OR or NOR or the correlative conjunctions above, the verb agrees with the noun following OR or NOR. Study the examples below. The noun the verb agrees with is highlighted.

• Jack or his brother has enlisted in the military.
• Are you kidding? Jack doesn't want to enlist, nor does his brother. [Note the inverted word order after the negative conjunction nor.]
• Neither Paul nor his brothers want to enlist in the military.
• Either Sarah or Susan has a brother in the military.
• That's not correct. Neither Sarah nor Susan has a brother in the military.
• I can't remember if Susan told me that her cousin or her friends have brothers in the military.

Select the verb to agree in number with the noun following OR or NOR.

1. Neither Maria nor her child health insurance.

2. Maria's husband is lazy. He doesn't work. Nor he try to better himself in any way.

3. Either Frank or his sons the car. It's not in the driveway.

4. Neither the doctor nor the nurses the distraught patient.

5. Don't worry. Either my husband or I a key to the storage shed.

6. Either you or your friends this mess.

7. Neither Jack nor his girlfriend happy.

8. Lisa or her parents for her car insurance.

9. Steve doesn't communicate much with his parents, nor he help them in any way.

10. Many teenagers don't listen to their parents, nor they take advice from anyone but their peers.

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