Subject Verb Agreement: Compound Subjects - Exceptions

Exceptions:

1. When the subjects joined by and refer to the same entity, the subject is singular.

• Burger and fries was her preferred snack.

(Burger and fries together form one unit.)

• Drinking and driving is a crime.

(Drinking and driving are not crimes in isolation, only in combination)

• Calculating and plotting the points on a graph is the most time consuming part of the analysis.

• My best friend and wisest counselor is a dog. 

(The two subjects refer to the same animal)

2.  When the elements are joined by and are preceded by the pronoun each and every, they are considered one unit and take a singular verb.

• Each invoice and purchase order has to be approved.

• Each passenger and the crew member was questioned.

• Every man and woman in the country knows who Lata Mangeshkar is.

NOTE: If each follows a compound subject rather than precedes it, the verb is plural.

• The invoices and purchase orders each have to be approved.

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Subject Verb Agreement

The Apostrophe

The apostrophe (') has three uses:

1. To form the possessive case of nouns and certain pronouns.
2. To show omission of a letter or letters from words and of a figure or figures from numerals.
3. To indicate the plural of letters, numerals, symbols, and certain abbreviations.

• Add an apostrophe and s to form the possessive case of a noun not ending in s:

women, women's

children, children's

office, office's

horse, horse's

• Add only an apostrophe to form the possessive case of a plural noun already ending in s:

girls, girls'

hero, heroes'

day, days'

student, students'

• Add an apostrophe alone or an apostrophe and s to form the possessive of singular nouns ending in s:

Keats, Keats' (or Keats's)

Sarah Jones, Sarah Jones' (or Jones's)

• In compound nouns add the apostrophe and s to the last element of the expression, the one nearest the object possessed.

somebody else's coat

my mother-in-law's house

the office manager's desk

• Use an apostrophe to indicate that letters or figures have been emitted.

didn't (did not)

he's (he is)

our '88 model car

the summer of '78

Note: It's means "it is" and can never be used correctly for its in the possessive sense.

Before writing its think whether or not you mean "it is".

• Use an apostrophe and s to form the plurals of numerals, letters, and words considered as words.

Sam has trouble making legible 8's.

Don't overuse and's, but's, and for's, in your essay.

Mind your p's and t's.

• Never use an apostrophe in forming the plural of nouns and the possessive case of personal and relative pronouns.

The Smiths (not Smith's) are coming home tomorrow.

Correct: ours, yours, his, hers, its, theirs, whose

Incorrect: our's, ours', your's, yours', his', her's, it's, their's, theirs', who's (unless you mean "who is)