Agreement with coordinated subjects

Level 3

Coordinated subjects normally take plural verbs, with agreement reflecting all participants.

How It Works

La Marta i la Júlia arriben has two third-person participants, so the verb is plural. If jo is part of the subject, ordinary agreement is first-person plural: la Marta i jo arribem. Tu with another person normally gives second-person plural in a vosaltres-based address system.

An adjective describing all the participants is plural too: la Marta i la Júlia estan contentes. Mixed grammatical genders normally take masculine plural: el pare i la mare estan contents. This is grammatical agreement, not a claim about which participant is more important.

Some coordinated expressions can be interpreted as a single unit and show other patterns, but do not use those special cases as the starting model for distinct people. Check the whole subject before choosing either a verb ending or an adjective form.

Examples (3)

  1. La Marta i jo arribem a les vuit.

    Marta and I arrive at eight.

  2. La Júlia i la Laia estan contentes.

    Júlia and Laia are happy.

  3. El pare i la mare estan cansats.

    The father and mother are tired.

How It Connects

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Agreement with coordinated subjectsLevel 3

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Apply plural agreement.

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Patterns that build on this one.