45 NOUN AND VERB AGREEMENT CHECKLIST The more complex the sentence, the more difficult it is to determine noun/verb agree-
ment. Here are some guidelines that may help you:
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If a compound, singular subject is connected by and, the verb must be plural.
(Both the 10-speed and the hybrid are appropriate for the bike race.)
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If a compound, singular subject is connected by or or nor, the verb must be sin-
gular. (Neither the 10-speed nor the hybrid is appropriate for a trail race, however.)
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If one plural and one singular subject are connected by or or nor, the verb agrees
with the closest subject. (Neither a fast bike nor perfect trails are going to help
you to win if you do not train.)
