Compound Subject | Examples & Definition
A compound subject is more than one noun or pronoun joined by a conjunction that functions as the subject of a sentence or clause (e.g., “my sister and I”).
Like all subjects, a compound subject either performs the action described by the verb in the predicate (e.g., “Sarah and Alana walk”) or is described by the predicate (e.g., “Trevor and Cara are tall”).
The nouns or pronouns in a compound subject are joined using the coordinating conjunctions “and,” “or,” or “nor” or a correlative conjunction (e.g., “either … or“).
The irises, pansies, and violets are all in bloom.
Pizza or pasta sounds good for dinner.
Neither Caden nor his brother is coming.
What is a compound subject?
In English, all sentences and clauses have two parts: a subject and a predicate. The subject is the noun or pronoun that controls the verb, which is expressed in the predicate. The subject typically either performs the action of the verb (e.g., “Poppy sings”) or is described by the predicate (e.g., “Henry is sad”).
The examples just shown are simple subjects. When two or more simple subjects are combined with the conjunctions “and,” “or,” or “nor,” a compound subject is formed (e.g., “Poppy and Nora sing”).
| Simple subject examples | Compound subject examples |
|---|---|
| Finn wants ice cream. | Finn and Liam want ice cream. |
| I will attend the meeting. | My boss or I will attend the meeting. |
| She doesn’t want to go. | Neither she nor her mom wants to go. |
Compound subject examples
Compound subjects can be used in any type of sentence in English (i.e., simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex), as shown in the table below.
| Sentence type | Compound subject example |
|---|---|
| Simple | Arlene and Ryan are going to the store. |
| Compound | Arlene and Ryan are going to the store, but Jacob and I are staying home. |
| Complex | I’m going to study while Arlene and Ryan go to the store. |
| Compound-complex | While Arlene and Ryan go to the store, I’m going to study, and Jacob is going to take a nap. |
Compound subjects also can be used with either simple predicates or compound predicates.
Compound subjects with more than two items
While compound subjects often consist of two nouns or pronouns, they can have more than two. In that case, commas are used to separate the items, and the conjunction is placed before the final list item.
A comma before the conjunction (sometimes referred to as an Oxford comma or serial comma) is preferred in some styles and not in others. Just make sure you are consistent about whether you use an Oxford comma.
- My mom, my brother, and I have blue eyes. [Oxford comma]
- My mom, my brother and I have blue eyes. [no Oxford comma]
When used to connect a compound subject, “nor” is almost always accompanied by “neither.” So, “nor” is typically not used in compound subjects with more than two nouns.
Compound subjects with pronouns
Pronouns like “I” and “me” are not interchangeable in compound subjects. Subject pronouns (e.g., “I,” “she,” “he,” “they”) should be used in compound subjects in formal writing.
People sometimes struggle with this and substitute object pronouns (e.g., “me,” “her,” “him,” “them”), especially when the pronoun comes after the conjunction.
When the pronoun “I” is used in a compound subject, it should come last.
- He and I want to go to the concert.
- Him and I want to go to the concert.
- I and he want to go to the concert.
- Me and him want to go to the concert.
- Marley and they are having a disagreement.
- They and Marley are having a disagreement.
- Marley and them are having a disagreement.
- Them and Marley are having a disagreement.
Subject-verb agreement for compound subjects
The rules of subject-verb agreement for compound subjects often cause problems, but there are a few general rules that can help.
Compound subjects with “and”
Compound subjects formed with the conjunction “and” should almost always be treated as plural. This makes sense when you consider replacing the compound subject with a pronoun (e.g., “Sofia and Tristan” becomes “they”). So, a verb in the plural form is used (e.g., “are” vs. “is”).
The children and I are traveling to California.
There are a couple of exceptions to this rule. First, if the compound subject is made up of two items that are viewed as a single entity, the verb is singular (e.g., “A burger and fries is my favorite lunch.”) This is relatively rare in formal writing.
The second exception is if the subject is introduced with the word “each” or “every.” In this case, a singular verb is used.
Every lunch and dinner is provided by the company.
- Milk and eggs are common allergens. [Emphasis is on milk and eggs equally]
- Milk, as well as eggs, is a common allergen. [Emphasis is on milk]
- Milk as well as eggs are common allergens.
- Milk, as well as eggs, are common allergens.
Compound subjects with “or” and “nor”
When “or” or “nor” (or the related correlative conjunctions either … or or neither … nor) is used to connect a compound subject, the subject is not automatically treated as plural. Instead, the verb agrees with whichever noun is closest to it.
When both nouns are singular, the verb is always singular. When both nouns are plural, the verb is always plural. However, when one noun is singular and one is plural, remember to look at the noun closest to the verb.
Either the landlord or the neighbors have the spare key.
Neither my friends nor my sister wants my old couch.
Neither my sister nor my friends want my old couch.
In short, put the plural noun last in compound subjects to make determining subject-verb agreement easier.
Frequently asked questions about compound subjects
- What is the difference between a compound subject and a compound predicate?
-
A compound subject refers to the group of nouns or pronouns that perform the action of the verb or are described by the verb (e.g., “Elle and Miriam are going to the store,” “She and Miriam are tall”).
A compound predicate occurs when two or more verbs share the same subject (e.g., “Beck walks and runs daily”).
Compound subjects and compound predicates can be used together (e.g., “The fans and the team cheered and shouted to celebrate the win”), or a compound subject can be used with a simple predicate and vice versa.
- Can a compound subject be used in a simple sentence?
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Yes, a compound subject can be used in a simple sentence – a sentence that has only one subject-verb pair (e.g., “Terrence and I like to hike).
Compound subjects can be used in all sentence types (i.e., simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex).
- How does subject-verb agreement work with a compound subject?
-
Subject-verb agreement for compound subjects can seem complex, but there are two basic rules to keep in mind.
For compound subjects connected with “and,” a plural verb is almost always used (e.g., “Carlos and Elise go to the same school”).
For compound subjects connected with “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with whichever noun is closest to it (e.g., “Either my parents or my sister picks me up from school” or “Either my sister or my parents pick me up from school”).
