Read the following sentences from the text and underline the subject and the verb.
Amma and Appa are fast asleep.
Subject: 'Amma and Appa' (compound subject with two nouns joined by 'and'); Verb: 'are' (plural verb to agree with the plural compound subject).
It's hot, dry, and there is sand everywhere.
Subject: 'It' (for the first clause 'It's hot, dry'); Verb: 'is' (contracted in 'It's'). For 'there is sand everywhere' - Subject: 'sand'; Verb: 'is'.
There are so many hills here, and beaches too.
Subject: 'hills' (and 'beaches' in the second part); Verb: 'are' (plural verb).
Explanation
(1) When the subject has two or more nouns connected by 'and,' we use a plural verb. 'Amma and Appa' is plural, so the verb is 'are.' (2) When the subject is 'it,' the verb that follows is either 'is' or 'was' depending on the tense. Here 'It's' is a contraction of 'It is.' (3) When a sentence begins with 'there,' the subject comes after the verb. 'Hills' is the subject, and since it is plural, the verb is 'are.'