Which rule governs subject-verb agreement for compound subjects?

• A. Neither/Nor Rule
• B. Subject-verb agreement rule for compound subjects
• C. Comma Splice Rule
• D. Tense consistency rule

Answer: (B)

Two or more elements joined by and form a compound subject, and the verb must agree in number with that compound subject. In most cases that means using a plural verb, as in “The coach and the players are ready.” If the two parts are meant as a single unit or refer to the same thing, a singular verb can be appropriate, though that’s less common. When the conjunction is neither nor or either or, the verb typically agrees with the nearer subject. This rule—how the verb lines up with a compound subject—is why the correct choice reflects the subject-verb agreement rule for compound subjects. The other options address punctuation or different grammatical concerns (like tense or the special case with correlative conjunctions), not the way verbs agree with a compound subject.