Either the cat or the dogs is making noise. (2023)

Either the cat or the dogs is making noise. (2023)

Step 1: Identify the subjects in the sentence. The subjects are 'the cat' and 'the dogs'.
Step 2: Determine if the subjects are singular or plural. 'The cat' is singular, and 'the dogs' is plural.
Step 3: Understand the rule for using 'either...or'. The verb should agree with the nearest subject.
Step 4: In the phrase 'Either the cat or the dogs', the nearest subject is 'the dogs', which is plural.
Step 5: Therefore, the correct verb form is 'are' to match the plural subject 'the dogs'.
Step 6: Rewrite the sentence correctly as 'Either the cat or the dogs are making noise.'

Subject-Verb Agreement – The verb must agree in number with the subject it refers to, especially in compound subjects.