How to Handle Complex Subjects in Subject-Verb Agreement (With Examples)
Subject-verb agreement is relatively easy when the subject and the verb appear side by side. However, English sentences often involve complex subjects, that is, subjects that are lengthened by phrases, contain multiple nouns, or are structured in such a way that they distract the reader or writer from the core subject.
Students tend to make mistakes when dealing with expressions like together with, along with, or in addition to, or when two subjects are joined by or or nor. Confusion also arises when long clauses or extra words come between the subject and the verb. This guide explains how to handle these tricky situations confidently by identifying the real subject and applying the appropriate agreement rule.
What Is a Complex Subject?
A complex subject is one that includes added descriptive phrases or multiple nouns, or is separated from its verb by other words. In such sentences, writers often agree the verb with a word that is closer to the verb, instead of with the main subject. The most important rule to remember is this: no matter how long or complicated the subject is, you must always ensure the verb matches the actual core subject, not the nearby words.
Common Patterns That Make Subjects Complex
Let’s go through a few common cases where subject-verb agreement becomes tricky due to sentence structure.
Case 1: Intervening Phrases Do Not Affect the Subject
Phrases such as along with, together with, as well as, in addition to, or besides often appear between the subject and the verb. These phrases may suggest additional nouns, but they do not make the subject plural.
For instance, in the sentence “The teacher, along with her students, is attending the event,” the main subject is the teacher. Although her students is nearby, the verb must agree with teacher, which is singular. The sentence “My friend, together with his brothers, has arrived,” also shows that friend is the subject, not his brothers.
The key idea here is to ignore the interrupting phrase and match the verb to the main subject.
Case 2: Subjects Joined by Or or Nor Follow the Proximity Rule
When two nouns are connected using or, nor, either…or, or neither…nor, the rule is that the verb must agree with the closer noun; this is called the proximity rule.
For example, in the sentence “Either the boys or the teacher is in charge,” the verb is agrees with the noun teacher, which is closer. In contrast, the sentence “Neither the manager nor the employees are available” uses the plural verb are to match employees, the nearer noun. Always focus on the noun right before the verb when using or or nor constructions.
Case 3: Subjects Joined by And Are Usually Plural, Except When They’re Not
Normally, when two nouns are joined by and, they create a plural subject and require a plural verb. So, a sentence like “My brother and sister are visiting today” is correct, and so is “The teacher and the principal have arrived.” However, sometimes the two nouns together describe a single item or unified idea. When this happens, a singular verb is the right choice.
For example, in the sentence “Bread and butter is my favourite breakfast,” the phrase bread and butter is treated as one item, not two separate foods. Likewise, “Fish and chips is a popular meal” refers to a single dish. So, always ask yourself: do the two items form one idea, or are they separate?
Case 4: Clauses That Begin with What or That Are Singular
Sometimes, the subject of a sentence is actually a whole clause, not just a noun. If the sentence begins with what, that, or other subordinating conjunctions, the entire clause is treated as a singular subject, regardless of what’s inside it.
For example, in “What she said is true,” the subject is the entire phrase what she said. Since this entire thought is a singular idea, the verb is is correct. Similarly, in “That you arrived early is helpful,” we treat the whole clause that you arrived early as a single subject. So, even though it feels long, you should treat such structures as singular and use singular verbs.
Case 5: Titles and Quoted Phrases Take Singular Verbs
Even when a title contains a plural word, it still takes a singular verb. This rule applies to the titles of books, films, articles, or other quoted phrases.
So, in the sentence “The Chronicles of Narnia is a popular book series,” the word Chronicles is plural in form but the entire title is one unit, so it requires a singular verb. The same is true for “Mathematics for Beginners was interesting.” Titles are always treated as singular entities, even if they appear to be plural.
Common Errors Students Make
One common error is being misled by a noun that is closer to the verb than the actual subject. For instance, “The teacher, along with the students, are going to the event” is incorrect. Though students is nearby, the subject is teacher, which is singular, so the correct version is “The teacher, along with the students, is going.”
Another mistake is failing to apply the proximity rule correctly in sentences that use either…or or neither…nor. Saying “Neither my friends nor my sister are here” is wrong, because the verb should match sister, which is singular. The correct sentence is “Neither my friends nor my sister is here.”
Lastly, learners often assume that anything joined by and requires a plural verb. That’s not always true. “Fish and chips are tasty” may sound right, but if you’re referring to the dish as one thing, you should say, “Fish and chips is tasty.” So always think about whether you’re describing one thing or two.
Try These Practice Sentences
Let’s put your understanding to the test. Choose the correct verb form in each of the following:
- The manager, along with the staff, (is / are) attending the meeting.
- Neither the students nor the teacher (has / have) the key.
- Bread and butter (is / are) my favourite breakfast.
- What he said (makes / make) sense.
- “The Chronicles of Narnia” (is / are) exciting.
Understanding how subject-verb agreement works with complex subjects is essential for writing clearly and accurately. It helps you avoid grammar errors in essays, exam responses, and professional writing. Mastery of these rules will improve your performance in English-based exams such as WAEC, NECO, IELTS, or TOEFL. More importantly, it builds confidence in your command of the language, both in formal and creative contexts.
Wrapping Up
Complex subjects don’t need to confuse you once you know what to look for. Your job is to always identify the true subject, ignore extra phrases, and apply the correct agreement rule. With steady practice and attention to structure, you’ll soon find it easy to write grammatically correct sentences, even with the trickiest complex subjects.
