Subject Verb Agreement

Golden Rule

Singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural verb takes a plural verb.

ATTENTION

The boy reads a book.

The boys read books.

The girl dances.

The girls dance.

 

Rule 1:

If both your subjects are singular and connected by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either/or’ or ‘neither/nor’ you use a singular verb. If both your subjects were in the plural form and connected by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either/or’ or ‘neither/nor’ then the verb that follows will naturally be a plural form of the verb.

My brother or my sister is arriving today.

The participants or the trainers are answerable for the delay

 

 

Rule 2: Rule of Proximity

If one of your subjects is singular and the other is plural, identify the noun that is placed closest to the verb. Your verb has to agree with the subject that is closest to it.

The textbooks or the pencil is on the table.
The pencil or the textbooks are on the table.

If the two subjects in your sentence are joined by ‘and’, it takes on the plural verb.

The parents and the children are attending the concert today.

EXCEPTION:

 

If there are two different nouns which may look like two different subjects but in reality refers to one entity, then use a singular verb.

His companion and friend is devoted to him.

 

Rule 3:

If the subject is followed by prepositional phrases or expressions such as along with, as well as, besides, together with, the verb agrees with the noun that precedes the intervening phrase and not the noun that follows it.

 

My cousin along with her children has flown to Spain.

 

Rule 4:

Singular Indefinite Pronouns always take on a singular verb.

 

Each of these boxes has been examined.

Anyone has the right to offer an opinion.

Somebody is responsible for the theft.

 

E.g. someone, something much, neither, each, nobody, nothing, everything, everyone, every

 

EXCEPTION: Indefinite pronouns like “many a” and “many an” may be misleading because of the presence of the word many. These are singular and take on a singular verb.

 

Rule 5:

Plural indefinite pronouns like several, few, both and many take on plural verbs.

Several were called to the stage

A few were opposed to the idea.

Both were anxious to receive the award.

 

Rule 6:

Mind the Fence Sitters!

Indefinite Pronouns like some, more, most, none, and all are singular or plural according to the meaning of the sentence.

Some of the officers are going by plane. (More than one - plural)

The indefinite pronoun some refers to a countable quantity – officers. It is plural and so the verb is also plural.

 

 

Remember that if a pronoun refers to an uncountable noun or a quantity or mass then it takes on a singular verb and if it refers to a countable noun or a number it takes on a plural verb.

 

Some of the ice cream is left. (Mass or uncountable quantity)

 

The indefinite pronoun some refers to an uncountable quantity – ice cream. It is singular and so the verb is also singular.

      

Rule 7:

None can be used to mean both singular and plural. Use the appropriate form of the verb by basing it on the context of the sentence.

None of these mangoes are ripe (more than one - plural)

We needed a book but none was available. (only one - singular)

 

Rule 8:

With neither and either remember to use a singular verb even though they may seem to refer to two things.

Neither and either are singular indefinite pronouns and take on a singular verb.

 

Neither of the bags is useful.

 

Either of the coats is fine.

 

Rule 9:

Words that indicate parts or portions – percent, part, majority, some and half are singular or plural according to the meaning of the sentence.

Fifty percent of the cake has been eaten. (Cake is the object of the preposition of and you are referring to a single unit of cake.)

 

Fifty percent of the cakes have been eaten. (Cakes is the object of the preposition of and you are referring to a number of units of cake)

When these words refer to a mass or section they are singular. When they refer to a number of individuals or things they are plural.

 

Rule 10:

In a similar fashion when the word number is preceded by the article a, it takes a plural verb and if it is instead preceded by the article the, it takes a singular verb.

In other words a number refers to a countable quantity and the number refers to an uncountable mass.

A number of men were working on the project. (Plural - countable)

The number of men present was small. (Singular – refers to one group)

 

Rule 11:

A plural noun which shows weight, quantity or extent is always singular and takes a singular verb. Alternately you could say that units of measurement are always expressed in the singular.

 

Ten miles is a long distance to walk.

 

Five hundred pounds is a big price to pay for this.

 

Ten inches is the correct length.

 

Rule 12:

 

Words like scissors, pants tongs, spectacles indicate a unit that has two parts.

If the word pair is used to denote the subject, it is then considered as singular subject and takes a singular verb.

 

The scissors are very sharp. (Plural)

A pair of scissors was left on my table. (Singular)

The pants are long but this pair of black pants is short.

 

Rule 13:

Words like here and there are not the subjects of the sentence. They are adverbs of place.

In such sentences the subject normally follows the verb.

 

Ten members are there on the committee. (Plural subject - plural verb)

Here comes the teacher with her staff. (Singular subject – singular verb)

 

Rule 14:

Collective noun represents a collection of objects and is considered as one unit.

Collective nouns agree with a singular verb.

 

The team is playing.

The herd of elephants is grazing.

 

EXCEPTION:

If the collective noun is used to indicate individual members of the group, use the plural verb.
The staff is in a meeting. (Acting as a unit- a group of personnel)
The staff are in disagreement about the project (As individual members of the staff)

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Rule 15:

Subjects like Mathematics and Physics or diseases like measles and mumps are plural in form but singular in meaning.


Physics is a very interesting subject.

Measles is an infectious disease.

 

EXCEPTION:

Politics is an interesting subject. (Subject name)
The politics of the ANZ party are pro democracy. (Political views)

 

 

Rule 16:

Relative pronouns who, that, or which can at times become the subject of a verb in the middle of the sentence.

The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. If that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

 

Harsha is the scientist who writes the reports.

He is one of the men who do the work