assignment subject verb agreement

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use

Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use

Published on April 30, 2019 by Fiona Middleton . Revised on April 18, 2023.

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject of the sentence matches the verb describing its action. This helps your reader understand who or what is doing something and makes your writing easier to read.

First, identify the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and the verb (the action word) in a sentence. If the subject is singular, the verb describing its action should be singular. If the subject is plural , the verb should be plural.

While subject-verb agreement is easy in simple sentences like these, it can become tricky in more complex sentences. This article teaches you the most important rules and common mistakes.

Table of contents

Compound subjects, subjects separated from verbs, indefinite pronouns, subjects that come after the verb, numbers and amounts, collective and uncountable nouns, abbreviations and acronyms.

Sometimes two or more subjects are linked to one verb. These are called compound subjects. To decide whether to use a singular or plural verb, consider how the subjects are linked.

Subjects linked with “and”

When subjects are linked with and , use a plural verb.

A bicycle and a pedestrian were involved. The goose and the chickens eat early in the morning.

Exception : When the two nouns don’t refer to separate things but to a single entity, use a singular verb.

The new bed and breakfast opens this week. Macaroni and cheese is a delicious meal.

Subjects linked with “or”

When singular subjects are linked with or , either…or , nor , neither…nor , use a singular verb.

Just a card or a balloon is enough. Either the measurement or the calculation has created a problem.

If all the subjects are plural, use a plural verb.

Either the measurements or the calculations have created a problem.

If the compound subject contains both singular and plural nouns, the verb takes the form of the closest subject.

Neither the batteries nor the machine operates as intended.

Check for common mistakes

Use the best grammar checker available to check for common mistakes in your text.

Fix mistakes for free

Often the verb does not directly follow the subject, which can lead to agreement mistakes. Make sure to match the verb with the correct subject, especially in long sentences with phrases or clauses in between subject and verb.

“As well as” and other tricky phrases

The phrase as well as is not the same as the conjunction and . Subjects linked by and  always take a plural verb. In contrast, phrases like as well as , in addition to , or along with are not linked to the verb. If the subject is singular, the verb should stay singular.

These refer to non-specific persons, places, and things (e.g., someone , other , anyone , anything , somewhere , every , none ).

Most indefinite pronouns are treated as singular subjects. However, some are always treated as plural, as they refer to multiple items or amounts.

Certain indefinite pronouns may be treated as either singular or plural, depending on whether they refer to multiple items or to a proportion of a single item.

Sometimes the subject follows the verb, especially when the sentence begins with there or here . In this case,  there is not the subject – the true subject should be identified and matched with the correct verb form.

There are many gaps in the literature. Here is the answer .

Note : Identifying the true subject can be difficult when using these phrases in a long sentence, which can be confusing for your readers, so be careful when starting a sentence in this way.

When using  numbers, percentages or proportions , the correct form of verb agreement depends on exactly what you’re referring to. It’s helpful to look beyond the numbers and find the true subject.

If you’re referring to a specific number or amount of something, match the verb with the noun rather than the number.

Only 25% of the measurements are reliable. Three meters of wire surrounds the core. Over 300 civilians reside in the area.

This also applies when the number refers to an unnamed noun.

I invited 10 people to the party, but only nine are coming. 30% say they will vote in the next election.

If the subject of the sentence is a number referring to a unified quantity of something, use a singular verb.

One thousand dollars is too much. In fact, 63% is a better result than expected.

Proportions

Terms that describe a proportion of something are usually followed by “of” (such as most of ). First look at the noun you are describing to determine if it’s singular or plural, then match it to the verb.

The majority of the samples are contaminated. The majority of the sample is contaminated. One third of the participants were given the placebo .

It can be hard to work out whether to treat collective and uncountable nouns as singular or plural.

Collective nouns

A collective noun refers to a group of people or things as a singular whole (e.g., population , team , committee , staff ). The form of verb depends on the style of English you are using.  US English  tends to use a singular verb, while UK English tends to use a plural verb. This also applies to the names of companies and organizations.

However, in both styles of English, this rule is somewhat flexible depending on whether you want to emphasize the actions of the collective as a whole or the individual actions of its members.

*A singular verb makes more sense here, as the emphasis is on the company as a unified entity.

**A plural verb makes more sense here, as the emphasis is on the individual staff members.

Uncountable nouns

These nouns describe abstract concepts or masses that can’t be counted (e.g., research , power , water  and vegetation ). They take a singular verb.

This  equipment is unusable. The research goes  smoothly. Water flows through the streets.

Note :  Data is technically a plural noun, but it is widely treated as an uncountable noun, so it is acceptable to use either the singular or plural verb form.

This research aims  to gather additional data on bee behaviour, which is currently lacking. Data were collected over a period of three months.

Abbreviations and acronyms usually take a singular verb. If you’re unsure, check if the full version of the acronym or abbreviation is a singular, plural or collective noun, and refer to the rules above. It’s most important to use one form of agreement consistently.

The country’s GDP correlates with its birth rate. The RPM falls rapidly. In addition to oil, HNS are a common form of cargo.

In the examples above, RPM (“revolutions per minute”) refers to a stand-alone number, so it takes a singular verb.  HNS (“hazardous and noxious substances”), on the other hand, is used to describe multiple things, so it takes a plural verb.

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Middleton, F. (2023, April 18). Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use. Scribbr. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/verbs/subject-verb-agreement/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Is this article helpful?

Fiona Middleton

Other students also liked, verb tenses in academic writing | rules, differences & examples, using abbreviations and acronyms, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Grammar: Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject–verb agreement rules.

Key : subject = yellow, bold ; verb = green, underline

Subjects and verbs must agree in number. In addition to the explanations on this page, also see the post on Subject—Verb Agreement .

Example: She writes every day. Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms. Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in a managerial role at the organization.

Example: They write every day.

Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.

Example : The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left their jobs within 2 years   are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.

Example: An assumption is  something that is generally accepted as true and  is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

Example: The student , as well as the committee members, is excited.

Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.

Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.

Example: The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.

Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

Example: The student or the committee members write every day.

Example: The committee members or the student writes every day.

Example: Each of the participants  was willing to be recorded.

Example:  Neither   alternative hypothesis  was  accepted.

Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to  everybody who  participates  in the study.

Example: No one   was  available to meet with me at the preferred times.

Example: Education   is  the key to success.

Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.

Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to include in the study.

Example:   The research I found on the topic was limited.

Example: The earnings  for this quarter  exceed  expectations.

Example: The proceeds  from the sale  go  to support the homeless population in the city.

Example: Locally produced goods   have the advantage of shorter supply chains.

Example: There is  little  administrative support .

Example: There are many factors  affecting teacher retention.

Example: The group meets every week.

Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is much less common.

Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their private lives.

Subject–Verb Agreement Video Playlist

Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Grammar for Academic Writers: Advanced Subject–Verb Agreement (video transcript)
• Common Error: Subject–Verb Agreement (video transcript)

Related Resources

Knowledge Check: Subject–Verb Agreement

Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

• Previous Page: Verb Forms: "-ing," Infinitives, and Past Participles
• Next Page: Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

Subject-Verb Agreement: Definition, Examples, & Exercises

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: April 10, 2023

Nobody likes conflict, and that includes sentences! We know that every sentence requires a subject and a predicate , but we also have to make sure that these two agree with one another. In the grammar world, this is called subject-verb agreement . 

The two places where subjects and verbs most often disagree are in number and tense. If the subject is plural, then the verb also has to be plural. Likewise, if the subject is singular, then the verb must also be singular. This seems like a no-brainer, but things can get complicated when you are talking about money, time, collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and interrupting phrases. 

When you’re ready, test yourself with a quiz   and practice with our high-quality, standards-aligned questions .

What We Review

The Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement refers to the relationship between the subject and predicate of the sentence. Subjects and verbs must always agree in two ways: tense and number. For this post, we are focusing on number, or whether the subject and verb are singular or plural.

For example:

• The light in the lamppost flickers each night.

In this sentence, the subject light is singular ; therefore, the verb that describes the action of the subject must also be singular : flickers. 

If the subject was plural , the verbs would have to change form to agree with the subject.

For example: 

• The lights in the lampposts flicker each night.

In this sentence, since the subject is now plural, the -s has to be removed from the verb in order to have subject-verb agreement .

Subject-Verb Agreement and Money

Money is tricky when it comes to subject-verb agreement because there are specific rules for referring to an amount of money versus dollars or cents themselves. 

For example; since this sentence refers to an amount of money, a singular verb is used: 

• Five thousand dollars was deposited at the bank this morning.

On the flip side, this second sentence refers to dollars themselves , so a plural verb is needed instead: 

• Five thousand dollar bills were deposited at the bank this morning.

Do you see how the interpretation of the sentence changes when the writer refers to physical dollar bills instead of a lump sum of money? 

In reading the first sentence, I imagined a check written out for five thousand dollars being handed to a bank teller. In the second sentence however, I imagined someone lugging several bags into the bag, each filled with one-dollar bills.

Return to the Table of Contents

Subject-Verb Agreement and Time

The rules for time are very similar to the rules for money when it comes to subject-verb agreement . 

Just as a singular verb is used with an amount of money, a singular verb is also used with a period of time. 

• The 1920’s is the backdrop for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby.

However, even though a plural verb is used when referring to individual dollar bills or coins, we normally do not refer to individual units of time since time is abstract. Therefore, singular verbs are always used instead of plural verbs whenever a writer refers to a period of time or a unit of measurement. 

• 225 pounds is the maximum weight that I can deadlift right now.

Subject-Verb Agreement and Collective Nouns

Collective nouns, or nouns that name groups composed of members, use either singular or plural verbs based on the context of the sentence. 

When collective nouns like family, squad, or committee act in unison in a sentence, a singular verb is used. 

• The committee votes to build a new park downtown.

When collective nouns act individually or separately from the group, a plural verb is used. 

• The herd of cows are running sporadically in every direction.

Subject-Verb Agreement and Indefinite Pronouns

Even though indefinite pronouns are nonspecific, most of these pronouns can still be divided into singular and plural categories. 

However, for indefinite pronouns that can be either singular or plural depending on the sentence, writers must reference a different noun in the sentence to find out whether a singular or plural verb is needed. 

Always singular example: 

• Does anybody want to take Precalculus with me this semester?

Always plural example: 

• Several kittens need to be adopted this weekend.

When an indefinite pronoun like some, more, none, or all is used, writers must refer to the noun or noun phrase immediately following this pronoun to know whether the verb is singular or plural. 

• None of my clothes are clean. (the verb is plural because clothes is plural) 
• None of the pizza is left. (the verb is singular because pizza is singular)

Subject-Verb Agreement and Interrupting Phrases

Sometimes it can be difficult to know whether a verb should be singular or plural because it is so far away from the subject of the sentence. It is easy to be confused by appositive phrases, prepositional phrases, or direct objects and think that these indicate the number of the verb. This is not the case! The subject is the only noun that decides if the verb is singular or plural. 

• Chris Hemsworth , one of many successful actors in Hollywood, has an intense workout regimen.

In this sentence, even though the appositive phrase uses the plural noun actors , the subject, Chris Hemsworth , is still singular, which means that the verb “ has” must also be singular. 

Here is another example: 

• The knot-hole in the tree, typically full of treasures for Scout and Jem, was instead filled with cement.

In this sentence, it can be tricky to find the true subject since there are several prepositional phrases that interrupt the subject and verb. Even though there are many nouns, both singular and plural, the true subject, knot-hole , is singular, so the singular verb was is needed.

3 Tips for Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement 

Here are some important tips to help you understand Subject-verb agreement :

Tip #1. Objects and appositives can never be the subject of the sentence

• Jacob , one of my next door neighbors, is a werewolf.

In this sentence, Jacob , not “ neighbors” , is the subject of the sentence, because “ neighbors ” is part of the appositive phrase.

Tip #2. When referring to sums of money or collective nouns acting in unison, a singular verb is used

• The herd of bison is grazing in the field. 

In this sentence, because the bison are acting as a unified group, the verb is singular.

Tip #3. Regardless of where it is in the sentence, the subject always determines whether a verb is singular or plural

• Her palms sweaty and mind racing, she begins her descent down the mountain. 

In this sentence, the subject does not appear until the middle of the sentence. Do not get tricked by modifiers like this participial phrase!

Applying the Basics: Subject-Verb Agreement Review & Practice

Now that you understand how subject-verb agreement functions in sentences, review the anchor chart below and complete the review to fully understand how to reach subject-verb agreement in your own writing.

The Ultimate List of Subject-Verb Agreement

Refer to the graphic below to learn the different types of Subject-Verb Agreement :

Note: subjects are underlined, and verbs are italicized.

This list, obviously, does not include all possible scenarios of subject-verb agreement; however, it is meant to be used as a guide to help writers navigate subject-verb agreement.

Subject and Verb Agreement Exercises and Review 

Now that you know how to make subjects and verbs agree, test your ability to find the subjects and verbs that agree in number. 

Select the subject and verb in the sentences below. Remember, subjects and verbs must agree in number; meaning, if the subject is singular, then the verb must also be singular.

1. Mouse Finbar’s main weakness was cake. 

In this sentence, weakness is the singular subject of the sentence, which means that the verb, was , must also be singular.

2. Ruby Roundhouse knew that the only way to save her friends was to win a dance fight. 

In this sentence, there are two clauses, each with its own subject and verb. The subject and verb of the first clause are singular: Ruby Roundhouse knew . The subject and verb of the second clause are also singular: way and was . However, since there are two clauses with two separate verbs, we have to make sure that there is also agreement in tense. Since the verb “ knew” is in past tense, the verb “ was” must also be in past tense.

3. Spencer , Fridge , and Martha were separated from the group during the attack.

In this sentence, the subject ( Spencer, Fridge, and Martha ) is plural because three different people are included. Therefore, the verb phrase ( were separated ) must also be plural.

4. In Jumanji: The Next Level, a new character , Ming, is introduced. 

In this sentence, character is the singular subject. It is difficult to find the true subject because there is both a prepositional phrase and an appositive; however, since character is the true singular subject, the verb “ is” must also be singular.

5. In order to win the game, Jumanji , the characters were instructed to return the Jaguar’s Eye to its home.  

In this sentence, characters is the plural subject, and were instructed is the plural verb. 

Pro tip : Subjects and verbs within the same clauses must agree with one another in number, while verbs in separate clauses within the same sentence must agree with one another in tense. 

For additional practice, check out Subject-Verb Agreement content on Albert.

Try for Yourself: Subject-Verb Agreement Quiz

Feeling confident in your understanding of Subject-Verb Agreement ? 

Take this short six-question quiz to see what you’ve learned:

1. True or False: subjects and verbs must always agree in both number and tense

• Answer: False 
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! While subjects and verbs must always agree in number, tense is reserved for verbs only as nouns in the English language cannot denote tense. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, subjects and verbs must always agree in number, tense is reserved for verbs only as nouns in the English language cannot denote tense.

2. Can noun objects be the subject of a sentence? 

• Answer: No  
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions can never be the subject of a sentence! 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions can never be the subject of a sentence.

3. In this sentence, should the verb be a singular “is” or a plural “are”? 

They is/are attempting to bake bread from scratch. 

• Answer: Plural “are” 
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! Since the subject, “they”, is plural, the verb must be the plural “ are ”. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, if the subject is plural, then the verb must also be plural.

4. In this sentence, are the noun and verb singular or plural? 

Racoons are sometimes called “trash pandas” due to their habit of going through people’s garbage. 

• Answer: Plural 
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! The subject “ racoons ” and the verb phrase “ are called ” are both plural. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! The subject “ racoons ” and the verb phrase “ are called ” are both plural, not singular.

5. In this sentence, are the noun and verb singular or plural? 

Mark , one of my best friends, was cast in our upcoming drama. 

• Answer: Singular  
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! In this sentence, Mark is the subject, not friends . Therefore, the verb was cast is also singular. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! In this sentence, Mark is the subject, not friends . Remember that nouns in appositive phrases cannot be the subject of the sentence. Therefore, the verb was cast is also singular.

6. In this sentence, is the singular verb “was” or the plural verb “were” needed? 

Ten thousand dollars was/were demanded by the thieves for the return of the jewel. 

• Answer: Singular verb “was” 
• Correct Explanation: That’s right! This is a tricky one. Remember, when referring to a sum of money, a singular verb is used. When referring to actual dollar bills, a plural verb is used. 
• Incorrect Explanation: Sorry, that’s not right! Remember, when referring to a sum of money, a singular verb is used. When referring to actual dollar bills, a plural verb is used. 

For additional practice with subject-verb agreement, check out our practice on Albert: Subject-Verb Agreement .

Teacher’s Corner for Subject-Verb Agreement

Even though subjects and verbs are the foundation of every complete sentence, students can still struggle to locate subjects and verbs in sentences as well as understand why and how they should agree with one another. Once you have a clear understanding of where your students stand, the Common Core English Language Progressive Skills Chart is a helpful tool for building on your students’ knowledge, regardless of where they may be. 

For specific standards on subject-verb agreement , check out the Common Core State Standards website. 

Albert’s Subject-Verb Agreement Practice provides several activities that each focus on a different type of subject-verb agreement, from Simple Subject-Verb Agreement to more advanced Indefinite Pronouns . Once students have practiced each type of subject-verb agreement , assessments are also provided to check student retention.

Summary for Subject Verb Agreement

It can be tricky to find both the main subject and the main verb of a sentence, especially if there are distracting objects, modifiers, or verbs acting like other parts of speech. Once you have determined the action or state of being that is described in the sentence, then you have to find out who or what is performing the action or experience the state of being. Finally, you must make sure that both the subject and the verb agree in number because if they do not, it can be very difficult to understand what is being communicated. 

Be sure to check out our grammar course for more subject-verb agreement practice. 

You can also access over 3,400 high-quality questions that address nearly every grammatical concept.

Need help preparing for your Grammar exam?

Albert has hundreds of grammar practice questions with detailed explanations to help you master concepts.

Interested in a school license?​

Popular posts.

AP® Score Calculators

Simulate how different MCQ and FRQ scores translate into AP® scores

AP® Review Guides

The ultimate review guides for AP® subjects to help you plan and structure your prep.

Core Subject Review Guides

Review the most important topics in Physics and Algebra 1 .

SAT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall SAT® score

ACT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall ACT® score

Grammar Review Hub

Comprehensive review of grammar skills

AP® Posters

Download updated posters summarizing the main topics and structure for each AP® exam.

Interested in a school license?

Bring Albert to your school and empower all teachers with the world's best question bank for: ➜ SAT® & ACT® ➜ AP® ➜ ELA, Math, Science, & Social Studies aligned to state standards ➜ State assessments Options for teachers, schools, and districts.

Northern Illinois University Effective Writing Practices Tutorial

• Make a Gift
• MyScholarships
• Huskie Link
• Anywhere Apps
• Huskies Get Hired
• Student Email
• Password Self-Service
• Quick Links
• Effective Writing Practices Tutorial
• Subject-verb Agreement

A verb must agree in person and number with its subject.

When the subject of the sentence does not agree in number with the verb , the sentence lacks subject-verb agreement . To preserve the subject-verb agreement, singular subjects take verbs marked for singular. Plural subjects must have verbs that are marked for plural.

Rule to Remember

A verb must agree in number and in person with its subject.

Correcting Faulty Subject-Verb Agreement

Errors typically occur when the writer does not know whether the subject is singular or plural.

In the sentence above, friend is the only subject and the verb are flying should be in singular form ( is flying ) to agree with it in number. The phrase with his parents is a prepositional phrase and not part of the subject, so it has no effect on the verb form.

Here is another example:

Subjects Followed By Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases such as with , together with , along with , as well as are not part of the subject and, therefore, have no effect on the form of the verb. The verb needs to agree in number only with the subject of the sentence.

Compound subjects are joined by and need a plural verb.

Compound Subjects

Compound subjects joined by and need a plural verb.

When the compound subject is joined by or , nor , neither... nor , either... or and one part of the compound subject is singular and the other part is plural, the verb needs to agree with the part closest to it.

Subjects Following Verbs

If the subject is following the verb in the sentence, rather than preceding it, it still has to agree with it in number.

Collective nouns which refer to a group of people or things can take either a singular verb or a plural one.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns which refer to a group of people or things can take either a singular verb or a plural one depending on the meaning that is being implied. If the collective noun is taken to represent the group as one whole, then the singular form of the verb is used. For example:

If individual members are implied, then the verb takes the plural form:

Nouns with Plural Form

Some nouns occur only in plural form, but they are singular nouns and take a singular verb: politics, news, ethics, measles .

Plural nouns of Latin origin take plural verbs ( alumni, media, criteria, phenomena ). The word data can take both a singular verb or a plural verb. The use of plural is more formal.

Time and Amount Nouns

Subjects that express time or amount also take a singular verb.

Titles and Country Names

Titles and names of countries take the singular form of the verb.

• Adjective or Adverb
• Commonly Confused Words
• Dangling Modifiers
• Double Negatives
• Inconsistent Verb Tenses
• Misplaced Modifiers
• Parallelism
• Pronoun Agreement
• Relative Clauses
• Split Infinitives
• Use of Numbers
• Punctuation
• Organization

Subject-Verb Agreement

I. real subjects.

The subject-verb agreement is tricky in a sentence or dependent clause that begins with the words "there, that, which, who," or "what" because they are not real subjects to determine agreement. You should look for the real subject in the sentence. For example, in the sentence "There are fifteen students in the room today," the real subject is "students," so the word "there" is treated as plural. However, in the sentence "There is a penny on the sidewalk," the real subject is "penny," so the word there is treated as singular.

Study these examples.

• There   is   three prerequisites   for this class. (incorrect)
• There   are   three prerequisites   for this class. (correct)

The word "there" is standing in for the real subject "prerequisites."

• Every teenager knows how to choose   clothes   that   flatters   her figure. (incorrect) 

• Every teenager knows how to choose   clothes   that   flatter   her figure. (correct) 


The word "that" is standing in for the real subject "clothes." 


II. Collective Nouns

Collective nouns express more than one person or thing, for example, "government," "equipment," "furniture," and "faculty," but each word refers to the group as a whole without taking a plural form. Collective nouns are treated as singular when verbs agree with them.

• The government   get   involved in people’s private business. (incorrect)
• The government   gets   involved in people’s private business. (correct)

"Government" is treated as singular when it agrees with "get."

III. Prepositional Phrases

The subject is not always the same as the noun next to the verb when the subject is followed by a prepositional phrase. For example, in the sentence “ One   of the many reasons   is   that it’s too expensive,” the subject is "one," not "reasons." The verb must agree with the real subject, which is the word that comes before the prepositional phrase.

• Everybody   on the buses   know   its route. (incorrect)
• Everybody   on the buses   knows   its route. (correct)

IV. Conjunctions

If nouns are connected with the conjunction "and," the subject is plural and the verb must agree with it.

• Mark and his sister   is studying   at Miami University. (incorrect)
• Mark and his sister   are studying   at Miami University. (correct)       

V. Either/Or and Neither/Nor

When the subject is formed with "either … or" "or neither … nor," make the verb agree with the closest noun to it.

• Either her brothers or her father   have   the money. (incorrect)
• Either her brothers or her father   has   the money. (incorrect)

Correct the following.

• Alexina found two online articles that is good for her assignment.
• Who are Sergey's and Mohammed's English teacher this semester?
• There is two sorority sisters in my class, Fatima and Thoa.
• Neither the cats nor the dog are responsible for the mess.
• Which are older, Enrique or Miguel?

Explanations and some examples are adapted with modifications from the following resources:

Bruce, S., & Rafoth, B. A. (2009).   ESL Writers: A guide for writing center tutors . Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

Ferris, D. (2014).   Language power: Tutorials for writers . Boston: Bedford/St Martin's.

Raimes, A. (2008).   Grammar troublespots: A guide for student writers . Cambridge [etc.]: Cambridge University Press.

English Language Learner Writing Center

501 E. High Street Oxford, OH 45056

• Online: Miami Online
• Main Operator 513-529-1809
• Office of Admission 513-529-2531
• Vine Hotline 513-529-6400
• Emergency Info https://miamioh.edu/emergency

1601 University Blvd. Hamilton, OH 45011

• Online: E-Campus
• Main Operator 513-785-3000
• Office of Admission 513-785-3111
• Campus Status Line 513-785-3077
• Emergency Info https://miamioh.edu/regionals/emergency

4200 N. University Blvd. Middletown, OH 45042

• Main Operator 513-727-3200
• Office of Admission 513-727-3216
• Campus Status 513-727-3477

7847 VOA Park Dr. (Corner of VOA Park Dr. and Cox Rd.) West Chester, OH 45069

• Main Operator 513-895-8862
• From Middletown 513-217-8862

Chateau de Differdange 1, Impasse du Chateau, L-4524 Differdange Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

• Main Operator 011-352-582222-1
• Email [email protected]
• Website https://miamioh.edu/luxembourg

217-222 MacMillan Hall 501 E. Spring St. Oxford, OH 45056, USA

• Main Operator 513-529-8600

Initiatives

• Miami THRIVE Strategic Plan
• Miami Rise Strategic Plan
• Boldly Creative
• Annual Report
• Moon Shot for Equity
• Miami and Ohio
• Majors, Minors, and Programs
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Employment Opportunities
• University Safety and Security
• Parking, Directions, and Maps
• Equal Opportunity
• Consumer Information
• Land Acknowledgement
• Privacy Statement
• Title IX Statement
• Report an Accessibility Issue
• Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
• Report a Problem with this Website
• Policy Library

Module 1: Grammar

Subject-verb agreement.

Agreement based on grammatical person (first, second, or third person) is found mostly between verb and subject. For example, you can say “I am” or “he is,” but not “I is” or “he am.” This is because English grammar requires that the verb and its subject agree in person. The pronouns I and he are first and third person respectively, as are the verb forms am and is . The verb form must be selected so that it has the same person as the subject.

Agreement based on grammatical number can occur between verb and subject, as in the case of grammatical person discussed above. In fact, the two categories are often conflated within verb conjugation patterns: there are specific verb forms for first person singular, second person plural and so on. Some examples:

• I really am (1st pers. singular) vs. We really are (1st pers. plural)
• The experiment succeeds (3rd pers. singular) vs. The experiments succeed  (3rd pers. plural)

More Examples

Compound subjects are joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, or, neither, nor). They are plural because there are more than one of them, and, typically, their verbs should be plural, too. Look at the following sentence for an example:

• A pencil, a protractor, and a calculator  a re  necessary for the assignment.

Using the principle that “in order to check agreement, find the verb and ask who or what is doing the action of that verb,” you would ask here, “What is necessary?” The answer is, “A pencil, a protractor, and a calculator,” which are three things, so the concept is plural and requires are , not is , for agreement. If we only needed a calculator, we would write, “A calculator is  necessary for the assignment.” A subject isn’t compound just because it is plural: “Calculators are necessary” is a plural subject that takes a plural verb, but it isn’t a compound subject because calculators are the only thing you need.

And, just to nuance this discussion a little more, some compound subjects actually take a singular verb because they form a singular concept. You might say, for example, “Spaghetti and meatballs is delicious” because “spaghetti and meatballs” functions as one concept (the meal). You can say, “Spaghetti and meatballs are delicious,” but that means that you are considering spaghetti and meatballs as two different entities, not as a meal. Meatballs and ice cream are delicious, but meatballs and ice cream is not.

Verbs do not agree with nouns that are in prepositional phrases. To make verbs agree with their subjects, follow this example:

• The performance of the three plays is the topic of my talk.

The subject of “my talk” is performance , not plays , so the verb should be singular. Using the principle that “in order to check agreement, find the verb and ask who or what is doing the action of that verb,” you would ask here, “What is the topic?” The answer is, “The performance.” “The three plays” are nouns in a prepositional phrase because they follow the preposition “of.”

In the English language, verbs usually follow subjects. But when this order is reversed, the writer must make the verb agree with the subject, not with a noun that happens to precede it. For example:

• Beside the house stand sheds filled with tools.

The subject is sheds ; it is plural, so the verb must be stand . Using the principle that “in order to check agreement,  find the verb and ask who or what is doing the action of that verb,” you would ask here, “What stands?” The answer is “Sheds stand,” not “The house stands.”

Here’s a grey area: do we use a singular or plural verb when agreeing with a noun that is singular in grammar but plural in meaning? For example, do we say, “The faculty meets” or “The faculty meet”? Other examples include team, committee , administration, press, class, staff, and audience . Generally, in American standardized English (but not in British standardized English), these collective nouns agree with singular verbs: “The faculty meets,” “The audience applauds,” “The legal team investigates,” “The administration obfuscates.” However, when members of the collective group are acting individually, the noun and its agreeing verb are often treated as plural: “The Geology faculty are going on various field trips with their students this week.”

All regular verbs (and nearly all irregular ones) in English agree in the third-person singular of the present indicative by adding a suffix of either -s or -es .

Look at the present tense of to love, for example:

The highly irregular verb to be is the only verb with more agreement than this in the present tense:

Choose the correct verb to make the sentences agree:

• Subject-verb agreement is another of those grammatical concepts that (sound / sounds) like something you could never get wrong.
• Worldwide, nearly one in four people (are / is) Muslim.
• Corruption and regionalism (have / has) left the public distrustful of the state.
• Alec and Kate (is / are) the best comedy duo in theater history.
• Subject-verb agreement  is a singular, third-person subject. Grammatical concepts is in a prepositional phrase.
• Nearly one is a singular, third-person subject. In four people is a prepositional phrase, but because people is a collective noun that is always plural, the pull here towards a plural verb is very strong. You might decide that it’s stylistically better to avoid this construction, even though it’s correct, in favor of something that doesn’t cause such a strain, like, “Nearly a quarter of the world’s population is Muslim.”
• Corruption and regionalism  is a plural, third-person subject.
• Alec and Kate  is a plural, third-person subject. But this sentence is a grey area: if the sentence halves were reversed, you could reasonably claim that the best comedy duo in theater history is Alec and Kate, where Alec and Kate function as a compound unit and their nature as a duo (a singular concept) matters.
• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Revision and Adaptation. Authored by : Gillian Paku. Provided by : SUNY Geneseo. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Rhetoric and Composition/Parts of Speech. Provided by : Wikibooks. Located at : https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Rhetoric_and_Composition/Parts_of_Speech#Verbs . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Agreement (linguistics). Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agreement_(linguistics) . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Image of speech bubbles. Authored by : Gregor Cresnar. Provided by : The Noun Project. Located at : https://thenounproject.com/search/?q=agreed&i=441045 . License : CC BY: Attribution

Privacy Policy

Table of Contents

Ai, ethics & human agency, collaboration, information literacy, writing process, subject-verb agreement.

• © 2023 by Jenifer Paquette - Hillsborough Community College , Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida , Brogan Sullivan

What Is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement happens when the subject and verb of a clause agree in number. For the subject and verb to agree, a singular subject must take a singular verb, and a plural subject must take a plural verb.

A verb denotes action, existence, or occurrence. A subject denotes the person or thing that performs the action, the person or thing that exists, or the incident that occurs. For example:

• Samantha drove .
• Mistakes were made .

In English, subjects and verbs must also agree with one another. That is, the form of the verb has to match the number of things in the subject. A singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. For example:

• She talks . (Singular)
• They talk . (Plural)

Notice that, unlike nouns, regular verbs in the present tense become plural by subtracting the letter s from the end. In the past tense, verbs usually don’t change at all:

• I watched. (Singular)
• They watched. (Plural)

Related Concepts: Subjects, Verbs, & Objects

Why Does Subject-Verb Agreement Matter?

A single relationship lies at the heart of every sentence in the English language. Like an indivisible nucleus at the center of an atom, the subject-verb pair unifies the sentence. It can be surrounded by any number of modifying words, taking on new shades of meaning, but no matter how many adjectives, adverbs, and independent clauses become attached, the basic unit remains. The subject-verb pair guarantees that the sentence means something. Without this core, a sentence fragments and loses its power to speak. Indeed, a sentence only becomes complete when it contains at least a subject and a verb.

How To Determine Agreement in Special Cases

No matter what kind of verb you’re using, the trick to making your subjects and verbs agree with one another is to first identify the quantity of the subject and then use the appropriate verb form. Usually, the writer makes these calculations without effort. However, certain words and phrases defy such common sense evaluations. The following sections explore the most frequent areas of confusion.

Indefinite Pronouns

The indefinite pronouns anyone , everyone , someone , no one , everybody , and nobody are always singular, and require singular verbs.

• No one comes to the party.
• Everyone tips the waiter.
• Someone saves the day.

It’s tempting to think that a word like everybody is plural (after all, it seems to refer to a group of people). But everybody is a shorthand way of saying “each person in the group,” and therefore remains a singular word.

Some indefinite pronouns, such as some or all , can be either singular or plural, depending on the quantity of the things they refer to. For example, particulate things, like marbles or slices of bread, are countable, and therefore take plural verbs:

• All of the marbles roll away.
• Some of the slices of bread were eaten.

Non-particulate things, such as loyalty or air, are not countable, and therefore take singular verbs:

• All of my loyalty vanishes .
• Some of the air is gone.

Collective and Plural Nouns

Many nouns masquerade as plural nouns, but like some indefinite pronouns, actually count as singular nouns. Words like audience , dozen , jury , group , and team imply a plurality of members, but when those members act as one, the noun is singular, and takes a singular verb.

• The audience claps at the end of the guitar player’s solo.
• A jury of his peers convicts the man for fraud.

However, if the members of the collective noun are not acting as a group, then the noun becomes plural and takes a plural verb.

• After the play, the audience grab their coats, exit the building and head for the parking garage. (The individual audience members do not grab the same coats or exit at the exact same time, nor do they take the same route to the parking garage.)
• The jury are divided on the subject of the plaintiff’s guilt. (Since the jury members do not agree unanimously, the noun jury becomes plural and takes a plural verb).

Note that a collective noun also becomes plural when more than one of the same kind of group described by the noun appears in the sentence.

• Dozens of petitioners attend . (In this case, the collective noun “dozen” has become plural; there is more than one dozen in the sentence, and so the verb becomes a plural verb).  
• The teams march onto the field. (More than one team exists in this sentence, so the verb becomes plural.)

When you are in doubt about whether a collective noun is plural or singular in your sentence, you can do one of two things:

• Add a modifying word, like “members” to the collective noun. (The members of the audience exit the building and head for the parking garage.)
• Use a different word entirely. (The concertgoers exit the building and head for the parking garage.)

Amounts and Fractions

Nouns that express amounts of concepts like time, money, and distance are singular.

• Twenty-four hours feels longer when you’re stuck on a plane.
• Seven hundred dollars is more than I can afford.
• Fifty miles seems like a long distance to walk, but it’s not if you’re in good shape.

Fractions are singular if they modify singular nouns and plural if they modify plural nouns.

• Half of the voters have cast their ballots. (“Voters” is plural, so “half” takes a plural verb.)
• Forty percent of the newspaper is devoted to advertisements. (“Newspaper” is singular, so “forty percent” takes a singular verb.)

Phrases of Inclusion

Certain phrases, such as along with , including , as well as , and together with do not operate on the subject in the same way that the word and does. The word and , used to connect two nouns or pronouns, compounds them into a plural subject. But the phrases listed above only interrupt the link between subject and verb, leaving the subject’s quantity unchanged:

• You and I are always together. ( You and I is a plural subject)
• The actor, together with his entourage, arrives at the award ceremony. ( The actor is the subject; his entourage is not included in the quantity of the subject)

Neither and Either

When these pronouns appear by themselves, they are singular, even though their use connects two things:

• Neither of these movies is very entertaining.
• Either restaurant is fine with me.

However, when they appear with the conjoining words nor (for neither ) and or (for either ), the quantity of the subject closest to the verb determines the quantity of the verb:

• Neither you nor your friends are welcome at my party.
• Either the democratic candidates or the republican candidate is going to be elected in November.

(Note that the last sentence sounds a little strange. While grammatically correct, the move from plural to singular in the subject feels awkward. When faced with a situation like this, simply switch the order of the terms so that the plural element of the subject appears closest to the verb, and use the plural form of the verb.)

Other Interruptions

In the same way, phrases that come between the subject and the verb (usually set off with commas, parentheses, or dashes) do not contribute to the quantity of the verb:

• The weather in April, although periodically broken by afternoon thunderstorms, was generally quite pleasant.
• My grades (taken as an overall barometer of my conduct at the university) show that I am an exemplary student.

Here and There as Expletive Constructions

Even though these words often appear at the beginning of a sentence (the traditional position for subjects), when they do so, they do not necessarily operate as a subject. In cases where here and there function in tandem with the verb to be (or one of its conjugates), they are part of the verb phrase rather than part of the subject:

• There were five books on the shelf.
• Here are my sweaters.

In these cases, the subject of the sentence follows the verb, but still determines the quantity of the verb.

Editing for Subject-Verb Agreement

A subject-verb agreement is a major faux pas , a stylistic infelicity. Your readers may question your education and professionalism when your texts are undermined by subject-verb agreement problems.

Before submitting your work to your audience, it’s always a good idea to double check for subject verb agreement . The first step when editing for subject-verb agreement is to find the subject and the verb in question in a sentence.

Once you’ve found the subject and verb, you have two revision options.

• Revise the subject and the verb so that both are singular: Error : The houses on the next block over is less expensive. Revised: Each house on the next block over is less expensive.
• Revise the subject and verb so that both are plural. Error : The houses on the next block over is less expensive. Revised: The houses on the next block over are less expensive.

Example: A virus in the school computers is the worst-case scenario during exam week. In this sentence, “virus” is the subject and “is” is the verb. It is tempting in this case to choose “computers” because it’s a noun and it’s much closer to the verb, but if you look closely at the verb, the subject becomes clearer: it is the virus that is a worst-case scenario, not the computers.

• There (is/are) a small, curly hair in my soup.
• Neither the stars nor the moon (is/are) visible tonight.
• 20 years (is/are) a long time to be in school.
• The board (vote/votes) to approve the minutes in each meeting.
• All of my footwear (smell/smells) unpleasant.

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Suggested Edits

• Please select the purpose of your message. * - Corrections, Typos, or Edits Technical Support/Problems using the site Advertising with Writing Commons Copyright Issues I am contacting you about something else
• Your full name
• Your email address *
• Page URL needing edits *
• Email This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Other Topics:

Citation - Definition - Introduction to Citation in Academic & Professional Writing

• Joseph M. Moxley

Explore the different ways to cite sources in academic and professional writing, including in-text (Parenthetical), numerical, and note citations.

Collaboration - What is the Role of Collaboration in Academic & Professional Writing?

Collaboration refers to the act of working with others or AI to solve problems, coauthor texts, and develop products and services. Collaboration is a highly prized workplace competency in academic...

Genre may reference a type of writing, art, or musical composition; socially-agreed upon expectations about how writers and speakers should respond to particular rhetorical situations; the cultural values; the epistemological assumptions...

Grammar refers to the rules that inform how people and discourse communities use language (e.g., written or spoken English, body language, or visual language) to communicate. Learn about the rhetorical...

Information Literacy - Discerning Quality Information from Noise

Information Literacy refers to the competencies associated with locating, evaluating, using, and archiving information. In order to thrive, much less survive in a global information economy — an economy where information functions as a...

Mindset refers to a person or community’s way of feeling, thinking, and acting about a topic. The mindsets you hold, consciously or subconsciously, shape how you feel, think, and act–and...

Rhetoric: Exploring Its Definition and Impact on Modern Communication

Learn about rhetoric and rhetorical practices (e.g., rhetorical analysis, rhetorical reasoning,  rhetorical situation, and rhetorical stance) so that you can strategically manage how you compose and subsequently produce a text...

Style, most simply, refers to how you say something as opposed to what you say. The style of your writing matters because audiences are unlikely to read your work or...

The Writing Process - Research on Composing

The writing process refers to everything you do in order to complete a writing project. Over the last six decades, researchers have studied and theorized about how writers go about...

Writing Studies

Writing studies refers to an interdisciplinary community of scholars and researchers who study writing. Writing studies also refers to an academic, interdisciplinary discipline – a subject of study. Students in...

Featured Articles

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Authority – How to Establish Credibility in Speech & Writing

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

7.2 Subject-Verb Agreement

Learning objectives.

• Define subject-verb agreement.
• Identify common errors in subject-verb agreement.

In the workplace, you want to present a professional image. Your outfit or suit says something about you when meeting face-to-face, and your writing represents you in your absence. Grammatical mistakes in your writing or even in speaking make a negative impression on coworkers, clients, and potential employers. Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common errors that people make. Having a solid understanding of this concept is critical when making a good impression, and it will help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly.

Agreement in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agree , or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender.

• Number. All parts must match in singular or plural forms.
• Person. All parts must match in first person ( I ), second person ( you ), or third person ( he, she, it, they ) forms.
• Case. All parts must match in subjective ( I, you, he, she, it, they, we ), objective ( me, her, him, them, us ), or possessive ( my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs, our, ours ) forms. For more information on pronoun case agreement, see section 7.5 “Pronoun Agreement” .
• Gender. All parts must match in male or female forms.

Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs.

Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. For more information on subjects and verbs, see section 7.1 “Sentence Writing” .

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s . Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s. Study the following regular verb forms in the present tense.

Add an -es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in -sh , -x , -ch , and -s. (I wish/He wishes, I fix/She fixes, I watch/It watches, I kiss/He kisses.)

In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural.

In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team.

In this sentence, the subject is mother . Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form.

In this sentence, the subject is friends . Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form.

Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s . Most regular verbs in the present tense end with an – s in the third person singular. This does not make the verbs plural.

On your own sheet of paper, write the correct verb form for each of the following sentences.

• I (brush/brushes) my teeth twice a day.
• You (wear/wears) the same shoes every time we go out.
• He (kick/kicks) the soccer ball into the goal.
• She (watch/watches) foreign films.
• Catherine (hide/hides) behind the door.
• We (want/wants) to have dinner with you.
• You (work/works) together to finish the project.
• They (need/needs) to score another point to win the game.
• It (eat/eats) four times a day.
• David (fix/fixes) his own motorcycle.

Irregular Verbs

Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbs . Some of the most common irregular verbs are be , have , and do . Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-verb agreement.

Study the different forms of the verb to be in the present tense.

Study the different forms of the verb to have in the present tense.

Study the different forms of the verb to do in the present tense.

Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be , have , or do . Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise.

• I ________ sure that you will succeed.
• They ________ front-row tickets to the show.
• He ________ a great Elvis impersonation.
• We ________ so excited to meet you in person!
• She ________ a fever and a sore throat.
• You ________ not know what you are talking about.
• You ________ all going to pass this class.
• She ________ not going to like that.
• It ________ appear to be the right size.
• They ________ ready to take this job seriously.

Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement

Errors in subject-verb agreement may occur when

• a sentence contains a compound subject;
• the subject of the sentence is separate from the verb;
• the subject of the sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as anyone or everyone ;
• the subject of the sentence is a collective noun, such as team or organization ;
• the subject appears after the verb.

Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-verb agreement will help you avoid these errors in your writing. This section covers the subject-verb agreement errors in more detail.

Compound Subjects

A compound subject  is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and , or , or nor . A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.

Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form.

Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.

Two singular subjects: Either you or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage.

Two plural subjects: Either you or the twins take the furniture out of the garage.

Singular and plural subjects: Either Jason or the twins take the furniture out of the garage.

Plural and singular subjects: Either the twins or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage.

If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form.

Separation of Subjects and Verbs

As you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. However, the subject and the verb must still agree.

If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause.

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase:

The students with the best grades win the academic awards.

The puppy under the table is my favorite.

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause:

The car that I bought has power steering and a sunroof.

The representatives who are courteous sell the most tickets.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns  refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form.

However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form. To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. View the chart to see a list of common indefinite pronouns and the verb forms they agree with.

The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit.

The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people . Because people is plural, all is plural.

In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake . Because cake is singular, all is singular.

Collective Nouns

A collective noun  is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group , team , army , flock , family , and class .

In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.

The Subject Follows the Verb

You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb.

Here or There

In sentences that begin with here or there , the subject follows the verb.

Here is my wallet !

There are thirty dolphins in the water.

If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there ; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.

My wallet is here!

Thirty dolphins are in the water.

When you ask questions, a question word ( who , what , where , when , why , or how ) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.

Who are the people you are related to?

When am I going to go to the grocery store?

If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.

Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following sentences. If there are no errors in subject-verb agreement, write OK . Copy the corrected sentence or the word OK on your own sheet of notebook paper.

My dog and cats chases each other all the time.

_____________________________________________________________

The books that are in my library is the best I have ever read.

Everyone are going to the concert except me.

My family are moving to California.

Here is the lake I told you about.

There is the newspapers I was supposed to deliver.

Which room is bigger?

When are the movie going to start?

My sister and brother cleans up after themselves.

Some of the clothes is packed away in the attic.

Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph. Copy the paragraph on a piece of notebook paper and make corrections.

I feels that I am the ideal candidate for the receptionist position at your company. I has three years of experience as a receptionist in a company that is similar to yours. My phone skills and written communication is excellent. These skills, and others that I have learned on the job, helps me understand that every person in a company helps make the business a success. At my current job, the team always say that I am very helpful. Everyone appreciate when I go the extra mile to get the job done right. My current employer and coworkers feels that I am an asset to the team. I is efficient and organized. Is there any other details about me that you would like to know? If so, please contact me. Here are my résumé. You can reach me by e-mail or phone. I looks forward to speaking with you in person.

Thanks, Felicia Fellini

Connecting the Pieces: Writing at Work

Imagine that you are a prospective client and that you saw this ad online. Would you call Terra Services to handle your next project? Probably not! Mistakes in subject-verb agreement can cost a company business. Paying careful attention to grammatical details ensures professionalism that clients will recognize and respect.

Figure 7.2  Advertisement

Key Takeaways

• Parts of sentences must agree in number, person, case, and gender.
• A verb must always agree with its subject in number. A singular subject requires a singular verb; a plural subject requires a plural verb.
• Irregular verbs do not follow a predictable pattern in their singular and plural forms. Common irregular verbs are to be , to have , and to do .
• A compound subject is formed when two or more nouns are joined by the words and , or , or nor .
• In some sentences, the subject and verb may be separated by a phrase or clause, but the verb must still agree with the subject.
• Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone , each , everyone , many , no one , and something , refer to unspecified people or objects. Most indefinite pronouns are singular.
• A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things one singular unit. Collective nouns require singular verbs.
• In sentences that begin with here and there , the subject follows the verb.
• In questions, the subject follows the verb.

Writing Application

Use your knowledge of subject-verb agreement to write one of the following:

• An advertisement for a potential company
• A memo to all employees of a particular company
• A cover letter describing your qualifications to a potential employer

Be sure to include at least the following:

• One collective noun
• One irregular verb
• One question

Putting the Pieces Together Copyright © 2020 by Andrew Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami Heat have been looking … , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … . See the section on plurals for help with this problem.

What is Subject-Verb Agreement? Definition, Examples of English SVA

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is Subject-Verb Agreement? Definition, Examples of English SVA

Subject-verb agreement definition: Subject-verb agreement includes matching the subject with the correct form of a verb.

What is Subject-verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and the verb must agree in case and in number.

When a writer uses a singular noun , he must use a verb that is conjugated to match singular nouns.

When a writer uses a plural noun , he must use a verb that is conjugated to match plural nouns.

Subject-verb Agreement Examples

• I walk. (singular)
• You walk. (singular and plural)
• He/She/It walks. (singular)
• We walk. (plural)
• They walk. (plural)

Incorrect Examples:

• They walks.

Subject-Verb Agreement in Different Constructions

For simple sentences, subject-verb agreement isn’t difficult to figure out.

• John is leaving.
• They are leaving.

These sentences are incredibly simple, which means it’s also incredibly simple to determine the correct subject and verb case.

Subject and verb agreement can be tricky, however, when the construction of the subject changes.

Let’s take a look at some of those tricky constructions.

With More Than One Subject Connected by “And”

• Drake and Drew ARE playing soccer.
• Drake, Drew, and Danny ARE playing soccer.
• Cats and dogs DO NOT play together well.
• My friends and I ARE playing soccer.

With More Than One Singular Subject Connected by “Or”

When there is more than one singular noun as the subject and the nouns in the subject are connected with “or,” a singular verb must be used.

• Drake or Drew IS playing soccer.
• A cat or dog IS making noise outside.

Agreement with Contractions

Examples with “don’t:”

• I do not = I don’t (singular)
• You do not = You don’t (singular and plural)
• He/She/It does not = He/She/It doesn’t (singular)
• We do not = We don’t (plural)
• They do not = They don’t (plural)

When Phrases Come Between the Subject and Verb

When a phrase interrupts the subject and the verb, the verb must agree with the subject regardless of the phrase.

• The man who plays soccer IS handsome.
• The men who play soccer ARE handsome.
• That toy, which I found in the oven, IS ruined.

Non-count Noun

• Mathematics IS a difficult course for me.
• My luggage IS packed and ready to go.
• This environment IS congested.
• Civics IS not my favorite course.

Sentences With There Are, There is, Here Are, Here is .

When a writer begins sentences with “there” or “here,” the verb agreement must match the words that follow. If a singular noun follows, use a singular verb. If a plural noun follows, use a plural verb.

• There IS a ghost in our attic.
• There ARE ghosts in our attic.
• Here IS the ghost.
• Here ARE the ghosts.

Tricky Words to Determine Agreement

Some writers may find that matching indefinite pronouns with the appropriate subject and verb can be difficult.

Some tricky indefinite pronouns that are always singular include:

• Each one IS identified.
• Someone IS asking.
• Everyone IS talking at once.

Some tricky indefinite pronouns that are always plural include:

• All ARE identified.
• Some ARE talking.
• All ARE asking.

Collective Nouns

• The group MAKES a decision.
• The people MAKE a decision.

Summary: Subject-verb Agreement Rules

Define subject-verb agreement: the definition of subject-verb agreement is the requirement that a subject and verb of a clause must match in person and in number.

In summary, subjects and verbs should always have the appropriate agreement, whether singular or plural.

While some can be tricky, it is unacceptable to match a singular subject with a plural verb and vice versa.

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules and Examples

Subject verb agreement – ever heard of the term? Well, here is a chance to learn what subject verb agreement means, what the term ‘concord’ refers to and the rules to help you understand how it works. Also check out the subject verb agreement examples given and try out the exercises on subject verb agreement to have a clear idea of what it is and how it has to be used to frame perfect sentences.

Table of Contents

What is subject-verb agreement – meaning and definition, rules of subject-verb agreement with examples.

• Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement

Check Your Understanding of Subject-Verb Agreement

Frequently asked questions on subject-verb agreement in english.

The term ‘subject-verb agreement’, just like the name suggests, refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb . This is mainly with reference to singular and plural nouns /pronouns that act as subjects. According to the Collins Dictionary, “concord refers to the way that a word has a form appropriate to the number or gender of the noun or pronoun it relates to. For example, in ‘She hates it’, there is concord between the singular form of the verb and the singular pronoun ‘she’.”

The general rule of subject-verb agreement according to Garner’s Modern English Usage is “to use a plural verb with a plural subject, a singular verb with a singular subject. This rule holds true for most cases. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Check out the next section to learn how verbs have to be conjugated in order to agree with the subject.

The concept of subject-verb concord matters the most when using the present tenses . The simple past and simple future tenses have the same verbs used irrespective of the subject in the sentence. Knowing and following the rules of subject-verb agreement will help you write error-free sentences. Go through the following rules and also go through the examples to understand how each rule is applied.

The first rule is what we have already discussed – the use of a singular verb with a singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject. The subject can be a noun , a pronoun or even a noun phrase. If it is a pronoun, the subject-verb agreement is done with reference to the person of the pronoun .

For example:

• Rachel spends her free time listening to music. (Singular subject with singular verb)
• Blaine and Kurt play the piano. (Plural subject with plural verb)
• She likes to have a dessert after every meal. (Third person singular pronoun with singular subject)

When using the ‘be’ form of verbs, there is an exception. In this case, the verb is used according to the number and person of the subject. Check out the following table to see how it works with different pronouns.

Furthermore, when used with other nouns and noun phrases , the rule applies. The same works even with simple past, present continuous and past continuous tenses when the ‘be’ form of verbs are used as the principal verb/ helping verb . Check out the following examples to understand.

• Santana is a singer.
• The girls are waiting for you.
• We were happy with the review of our first movie.
• Michael Jackson’s songs are still enjoyed by millions.
• I was reading the latest book by Rudyard Kipling.

The use of ‘have’ and ‘has’ in the present perfect tense , the present perfect continuous tense and as a main verb is also dependent on the subject. All singular subjects use ‘has’ and all plural subjects use ‘have’.

• I have a younger brother.
• You have taken the wrong cut.
• Swetha has a pet dog.
• William Shakespeare has written around 37 plays.
• Finn has been waiting to talk to you about the test results.

Compound subjects combined using the conjunction ‘and’ take a plural verb.

• Krish and Radha are on their way to the airport.
• Caren, Sheela and Akash have completed their assessments.

When more than one noun is joined by the conjunction ‘or’, the subject is considered to be singular and a singular verb is used.

• Celery or spring onion works fine.
• Your mom or dad has to be here in an hour.

Sentences with pronouns such as anybody, anyone, no one, somebody, someone, everybody, everyone, nothing and nobody are treated as singular subjects and will therefore use a singular verb.

• Nobody has understood anything.
• Everyone was happy with the outcome.
• Nothing fits me well.
• No one finds the movie interesting.

For sentences using ‘either..or’ and ‘neither..nor’, the verb should agree with the noun or pronoun that comes just before it.

• Neither Ricky nor Gina is here yet.
• Either the teacher or the students have to take an initiative to keep the classroom clean.
• Neither the children nor their parents are aware of the consequences.

When sentences have subjects like police, news, scissors, mathematics, etc. (nouns that are plural by default), the verb used should be plural.

• The news of demonetisation shocks the entire nation.
• The police have been looking for the culprits.

When a negative sentence is written, the ‘do’ verb is used and it has to match the subject.

• The children do not like working out trigonometry problems.
• My father does not work at the bank anymore.

Interrogative sentences also take the help of the ‘do’ verb. As far as the subject-verb agreement of interrogative sentences is concerned, the first verb (‘be’ verb or ‘do’ verb) has to be aligned with the subject of the sentence.

• Do you read thriller novels?
• Doesn’t she know you already?
• Is Tina happy with the new house?
• Were you looking for me?
• Has Sharon submitted her final project yet?

When you have sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘those’, ‘these’, etc., always remember that the subject follows the verb and therefore the verb has to be conjugated with reference to the subject.

• Here is your book.
• There lies your shirt.
• That was a great movie.
• There have been many changes in the timetable.

Abstract nouns and uncountable nouns are considered as singular subjects, so make sure you use a singular verb along with it.

• Honesty is the best policy.
• Love makes people do crazy things.
• Good friendship keeps your mind and body healthy.

When the subject refers to a period of time, distance or a sum of money, use a singular verb.

• 1267 kilometres is too long for us to travel in half a day.
• 10 years is not considered optimum to go on the water slide.
• Don’t you think 1000 rupees is a little too much for a portrait?

The next rule is based on the use of collective nouns as subjects. Remember that when you have a collective noun as the subject of the sentence, the verb can be singular or plural based on the sentence and the context.

• My family is settled in Australia.
• All groups of participants have arrived .

In sentences that have adjectives such as ‘all’, ‘a lot of’, ‘lots of’ or ‘some’ are used along with nouns to form a phrase that acts as the subject of the sentence, the verb is used according to the noun just before it.

• All of my dresses have become tight.
• A lot of food is left out.
• Some of the books are torn and damaged.

When a sentence begins with ‘each’ or ‘every’ as the subject, it is considered singular and so the verb has to be singular too.

• Each student has been asked to provide a consent letter.
• Every teacher, parent and student is expected to work together.

When you are using a sentence to express a wish or a sentence expressing a request, verbs are used a little differently from other sentences.

• I wish I were a bird.
• If you were here, I would not be sad.
• We request that everyone make their choices now.

Furthermore, go through the article on tenses to learn how verbs are conjugated according to the tense of the sentence.

Go through the following sentences, analyse if the underlined verb agrees with its subject and make changes if necessary.

1. One of the plates are broken.

2. The seven children from Chennai has been selected for the final round of the quiz.

3. Neither the children nor the teacher has reached yet.

4. Sheena and her sister is here to see you.

5. A lot of food choices was given.

6. My parents lives in New Zealand.

7. Don’t you think 4 days are a little too long?

8. Do anyone know where the lift is?

9. The little girl do not like mangoes for some reason.

10. You has brought all that I had asked for.

Here are the answers for the exercise. Go through them to find out how many of them you got right.

1. One of the plates is broken.

2. The seven children from Chennai have been selected for the final round of the quiz.

3. Neither the teacher nor the children have reached yet.

4. Sheena and her sister are here to see you.

5. A lot of food choices were given.

6. My parents live in New Zealand.

7. Don’t you think 4 days is a little too long?

8. Does anyone know where the lift is?

9. The little girl does not like mangoes for some reason.

10. You have brought all that I had asked for.

What do you mean by subject-verb agreement?

The term ‘subject-verb agreement’, just like the name suggests, refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb. This is mainly with reference to singular and plural nouns/pronouns that act as subjects.

What is the definition of subject-verb concord?

According to the Collins Dictionary, “concord refers to the way that a word has a form appropriate to the number or gender of the noun or pronoun it relates to. For example, in ‘She hates it’, there is concord between the singular form of the verb and the singular pronoun ‘she’.”

Give 5 examples of subject-verb agreement.

Here are 5 examples of subject-verb agreement for your reference.

• She likes to have a dessert after every meal.

• Share Share

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

Purdue OWL® Exercises Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Exercise : Subject and Verb Agreement Exercise

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Choose the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.

1. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school.

2. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.

3. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.

4. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.

5. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.

6. Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer.

7. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.

8. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.

9. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch.

10. The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.

11. Either answer (is, are) acceptable.

12. Every one of those books (is, are) fiction.

13. Nobody (know, knows) the trouble I've seen.

14. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six?

15. Mathematics (is, are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (is, are) Andrea's favorite subject.

16. Eight dollars (is, are) the price of a movie these days.

17. (Is, Are) the tweezers in this drawer?

18. Your pants (is, are) at the cleaner's.

19. There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is, are) only one left!

20. The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.

21. The committee members (leads, lead) very different lives in private.

22. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets, greet) the press cordially.

23. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.

100+ Subject Verb Agreement Questions Answers Examples

Explore 100+ subject verb agreement examples and practice sets to gain a comprehensive understanding of this vital grammar concept. Learn how to apply it effectively in your writing.

These examples demonstrate how subject-verb agreement works in various contexts. Ensuring that your subjects and verbs agree in number is essential for maintaining proper grammar and clarity in your writing and speech.

In this Subject-verb agreement Examples exploration, we’ll manage an in-depth analysis of What is a subject-verb agreement in Gramma r, its rules , common errors , and examples with practice sets , to enhance your writing prowess and communicative skills.

Subject Verb Agreement

The person or thing about which something is said in a sentence is called the subject of that sentence.

We can Identify the subject of a sentence by asking the verb with “Who?” or “What?”. In “The sun shines brightly,” “sun” is the subject.

A  verb is a doing word . A verb in a sentence indicates what the subject of the sentence does.

The subject represents the main focus of the sentence, while the verb indicates the action or state of being related to the subject. Let’s delve into this with some examples:

Subject: John | Verb: runs Example: John runs every morning.

Subject: Cats | Verb: are Example: Cats are playful animals.

In these examples :

In the first example, “John” is the subject, and “runs” is the verb. The sentence conveys the action of John running.

In the second example, “Cats” is the subject, and “are” is the verb. The sentence describes the playful nature of cats.

People also ask

Subject Verb Agreement Examples

The Agreement with Subject-Verb refers to the grammatical conformity between a subject and its corresponding verb in a sentence. 

In simpler terms, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well. This agreement forms the backbone of clear and effective communication.

Correct: He plays an important role in the movie.

Incorrect: He play an important role in the movie.

This agreement ensures a sentence’s logical structure and coherence, preventing confusion and misinterpretation.

Without subject-verb agreement, sentences can become convoluted, leading to ambiguity and undermining effective communication.

Importance of Subject Verb Agreement Examples

Imagine a sentence like “The book seems interesting.” Now, replace “seems” with “seem.” Suddenly, the sentence becomes awkward. This is why the subject-verb agreement is vital: it ensures that sentences flow naturally and are easy to understand.

Subject Verb Agreement Topics

To enhance our understanding of subject-verb agreement, it’s beneficial to practice topics like

1. singular and plural subjects

2. Corresponding verbs

3. Collective nouns

4. Indefinite pronouns

5. distributive pronouns

6. Agreement across tenses .

Consistent practice with these concepts will lead to greater proficiency in maintaining grammatical accuracy in our communication

Subject Verb Agreement Examples with Rules

Here are some subject-verb agreement examples and practice sets to help you better understand and practice this concept:

Number: Singular Number and Plural Number Subjects

The first step in mastering subject-verb agreement is identifying whether a subject is singular or plural. Singular subjects refer to one person, place, thing, or idea, while plural subjects involve multiple entities. For example, “Apple” is singular, while “Apples” is plural.

Singula r Subjects with Singular Verbs when dealing with a singular subject, the verb must also be singular. 

The cat runs through the garden.

She writes eloquent poetry.

Plural Subjects with Plural Verbs When the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well.

The dogs bark loudly.

They study diligently for exams.

Matching Singular Subjects with Singular Verbs

A singular subject calls for a singular verb, completing the grammatical duet. 

 The cat jumps over the fence.”

 However, when the subject is plural, the verb changes: 

The cats jump over the fence.

Person: First, Second, and Third Person Subjects

The rules regarding the person are as follows:

(i) The first person singular or plural takes a singular verb:

I like this scenery.

We like this scenery.

(ii) The second perso n singular or plural takes a singular verb:

You like this scenery.

(iii) The third person singula r takes a singular verb:

He likes this scenery.

She sings a song.

This is a cat.

It is a mistake.

Sanu plats well today.

(iv) The third person plural takes a plural verb:

They like this scenery.

Mohit and Shruti see the moon.

Compound Subjects Agreement

Agreement with Compound Subjects When two or more singular subjects are connected by “and,” they require a plural verb. 

Conversely, if the subjects are connected by “or,” the verb should agree with the subject closer to it. 

Jenny and Tom play tennis together.

Either the book or the magazines are on the table.

Collective Nouns Agreement

Collective Nouns Collective nouns, representing a group of people or things, can take either singular or plural verbs based on context. When the emphasis is on the group acting as a single entity, we use a singular verb. If the focus shifts to individual members of the group, a plural verb is appropriate. 

The team is preparing for the championship.

The team are debating their strategy.

Indefinite Pronouns Agreement

Indefinite Pronouns Certain indefinite pronouns, like “everyone,” “nobody,” “everything,” and “nothing,” are always treated as singular subjects, thus taking singular verbs.

Everyone has a unique perspective.

Nothing goes unnoticed by her keen eyes.

Distributive Pronouns Agreement

Distributive pronouns like “either”, “neither”, “each”, and “every” are always treated as singular subjects, thus taking singular verbs.

Either of the girls is suitable for the job.

Neithe r of the two r oads leads to my aunt’s house.

Intermediate Phrases Agreement 

When expressions like as well as, together with, with, in addition to, along with, and besides, are used to join two singular subjects, the verb that is used is singular. However, if one subject is singular and the other is plural, the verb agrees with the first subject. 

Ronaldo , as well as Messi, is a brilliant player.

Rahul , besides Priya and Gauri, is invited to the party.

The bag , with all its contents, was washed away in the sea.

The general manage r, together with her sales team, was given an award.

Error of Proximity 

A verb must agree with its Subject in Number and Person. Sometimes, the verb agrees with its number with a noun near it instead of with its proper subject. This we call an Error of Proximity and we should avoid this.

The cost of luxury goods has gone up.

The quality of the mangoes is not good.

The presence of so many men is encouraging.

Numbers and Amounts Agreement 

Nouns relating to weight, measure, amount, and time/distance or the collective number take singular verbs.

Five years is a pretty long time.

T en kilos of milk was consumed in just one day.

A hundred rupees is not a big amount for him.

Only one-fourth of the total police force was deployed in the area.

Subjects that Come After the Verb

In sentences starting with ‘there is’ or ‘there are’, the subject takes its place after the verb, while the verb aligns with the true subject for agreement.

There are ten musicians in the school band.

There is no teacher in the staffroom.

Subjunctive Mood

When portraying wishes or conflicting realities, the term ‘were’ substitutes for ‘was’ in statements in the subjunctive mood.

I wish I were a bird.

If I were there, I would have managed this.

Subject Verb Agreement Exceptions Rules

While the rules of subject-verb agreement provide a strong foundation, certain cases can be tricky due to exceptions or misleading structures. Let’s explore some subject-verb agreement exceptions with advanced rules

Navigating Tricky Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns like “everyone,” “someone,” and “nobody” can pose challenges. Although they might sound plural, they are singular and require singular verbs.

  Examples:

Everyone wants to succeed.

Nobody is mortal in this world.

Collective Nouns and Their Verbs

A collective noun may take a singular or plural verb and the general rule is to usethe singular verb when the idea is suggested and the plural verb the idea of plurality is predominant.

The committee are not unanimous in their decision.

The committee has issued its reports.

Compound Subjects and Compound Verbs

When subjects are connected by “and,” they create a compound subject. If they convey a single idea, use a singular verb. If separate ideas, opt for a plural verb. 

“Bread and butter are healthy for me” 

 “Bread and butter is my favorite food.”

Intervening Phrases: Agreement Amidst Complexity

Phrases like “along with,” “as well as,” “including”, and ” together with” can intervene between subjects and verbs. The key is to focus on the subject closest to the verb to determine agreement.

The book , along with the pens, is on the desk.

The players as well as the captain have made the effort.

Phrases and Clauses Agreement

When the Phrases, and clauses, are the subjects, the verb is in the third person singular number.

The writing of letters well is not easy.

That he is ill is known to all.

Agreement with “Or” and “Nor”

When subjects are linked by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. “Neither the cat nor the dogs are causing trouble.”

Either Preeti or Sausamya is at home.

Either Preeti or the children are at home.

Neither the manager nor his assistan t is present at the meeting.

Neither he nor his friends were going to the party.

Special Cases: Titles, Time, and Money

Titles, periods of time, and sums of money often trick us into choosing the wrong verb. However, they are singular and require singular verbs:

 Ten dollars is missing.

Twenty shillings makes one pound.

Three miles is a long distance.

The subject-verb agreement depends on whether we consider the number or amount is singular or plural.

Fifty percen t of the cake is gone. (Singular)

Ten percent of the students are absent. (Plural)

Three-fourths of the work is done.[work – amount; is – singular verb]

Three-fourths of the men are dead.[men – a number; are – plural verb]

Common Subject-Verb Agreement Errors

Nouns agreement errors.

Nouns singular in form take plural Verbs

Aristocracy, Nobility, Gentry, clergy, cattle, poultry, people, folk, etc. take plural verbs.

Cattle are grazing in the field.

Who are those people ?

The old folk are gone.

Nouns plural in form take singular verbs.

Gallows, mathematics, news, physics, politics, smallpox, whereabouts, linguistics, mumps, etc. take singular verbs.

The news is true.

His whereabouts is not known.

Politics is my favorite subject.

Nouns that have no plural forms

Alphabet, expenditure, furniture, hair, information, luggage, scenery, poetry, etc take singular verbs.

The alphabet is written on the blackboard.

The scenery of Simla is beautiful.

Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects

Indefinite pronouns like anyone everyone, someone, no one, nobody takes singular verbs.

Everyone in the class is going for a picnic.

Someone is missing from the room.

No one has the ability to do it.

When subjects unite with “and,” forming a compound subject, a singular or plural verb choice hinges on whether they represent one or distinct notions, respectively.

The indefinite pronouns any, all , none , and some are used both in the singular and plural.

Any of them was not present (singular). 

Do any of you like it? (plural)

All is not beautiful (singular). 

All of them are not honest. (plural)

None of the boys was good (singular). 

None of us love him. (Plural)

Some of this sugar is bad (singular). 

Some of the mangoes were rotten. (plural)

Two Subjects Connected by ‘and’ 

Two or more singular subjects joined by and, take plural verb.

Ram and Shyam are two friends.

She and her father have gone there.

But two or more singular subjects joined by ‘and’ express the same person or thing or a single idea, take singular v erbs.

The secretary and treasurer has come. (same person)

A hue and cry was raised. (single idea)

Connecting Two Singular Subjects

Two singular subjects joined by ‘or’, ‘either…or’, ‘neither…nor’ take singular verbs.

Either the pink dress or the white gown is best. 

Neither the brother nor the sister wants to do the work.

Anil or Suman is hosting the event. 

Connecting a Plural and Singular Subject

Two singular subjects of different numbers and persons joined by ‘or’, ‘either…or’, ‘neither…nor’ the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

“Neither the chocolates nor the salad tempts her.”

“Neither the salad nor the chocolates tempt her.” 

Difficult Subject Verb Agreement Examples

Collective nouns.

When a collective noun refers to one individual whole, the verb is singular and denotes the individual of the group. But when a collective noun refers to the individual of the group, the verb is in plural.

The committee has approved the decision

The committee were divided in their opinions. 

Your famil y is bigger than mine.

Your family are assigned to different rooms.

‘Here is’ and ‘There is’ constructio n

Care should be taken about the use of the number in sentences beginning with introductory ‘there’, and ‘here’.

“Here is the bag you want to borrow.”

“There are four books I love to read.” 

Intervening Phrases:  

When the subject of a sentence consists of two nouns or pronouns that are joined by ‘As well as’, ‘together with’, ‘with’, along with’, the verb  agrees with the first   Noun/Pronoun .

The captain as well as his crew members was polite.

The students along with their teacher have visited the spot.

I as well as Sushama am going for a picnic.

Numbers and Units

To ensure proper agreement, consistently employ a singular verb form when discussing sums of money, time durations, or unit distances, and when a number directly follows the main noun.

Two thousand dollars is needed for her operation.

The first two miles are easier than the last two miles.

Fractions and Portions

When terms like ‘some,’ ‘all,’ or ‘a lot’ are employed to indicate portions, the subject often seems to be within a prepositional phrase including the term ‘of’.

“A lot of the cake has been given out.” 

“A lot of the cakes have been given out.” 

“Some of the room is occupied.” 

“Some of the rooms are occupied.” 

Subject Verb Agreement Questions Answers

Question set 1:, singular number and plural number rules.

1. They ________ (study/studies) diligently for exams.

2. The cat ________ (jumps/jump) over the fence

3 . Cattle ________ (is/are) grazing in the field.

4. His whereabouts ________  (are/is) not known.

5. The scenery of Simla________  (are/is) beautiful.

Question Set 2:

1. The headmaster and secretary (have/has) decided to hold a meeting in his room.

2.   Author and publisher, Mr. Desai, (are/is) in town to inaugurate the Book Fair.

3.   Either Preeti or the children (is/are) at home.

4. Each girl and each boy (was /were) given a mango.

5. No man and no woman (has/have) been found there.

Question Set 3: 

3. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The cat and the dog (play/plays) together in the yard.

2. She, along with her friends, (go/goes) to the movies on weekends.

3. Either the book or the magazines (is/are) on the table.

4. The team of scientists (is/are) conducting important research.

5. Everyone in the class (has/have) submitted their assignments.

Question Set 4:

4. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. The group of singers are/is performing on stage.

2. Neither the cake nor the cookies is/are delicious.

3. Everyone at the party have/has brought their favorite dishes.

4. The committee members is/are meeting tomorrow.

5. Each of the students have/has passed the exam.

Practice Set 5:

5. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The movie, along with the trailers, _______________ (start/starts) at 7 PM.

2. Both the cat and the dog _______________ (is/are) friendly.

3. Neither the students nor the teacher _______________ (want/wants) to miss the field trip.

4. The box of chocolates _______________ (was/were) a thoughtful gift.

5. Many of the employees _______________ (has/have) received awards for their hard work.

Practice Set 6: 

6. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. A group of tourists is/are exploring the ancient ruins.

2. Either the red or the blue car are/is available for rent.

3. The committee members are/is discussing the new proposal.

4. One of the books have/has gone missing from the library.

5. The herd of cows is/are grazing peacefully in the field.

Practice Set 7:

7. choose the correct option for m the brackets.

1. The sun shines/shine brightly in the morning.

2. The birds sing/sings melodiously in the trees.

3. The car and the bicycle are/is parked in the garage.

4. The students study/studies diligently for their exams.

5. The flowers in the garden bloom/blooms beautifully in the spring.

6. The musicians in the orchestra play/plays harmoniously together.

Practice Set 8: 

8. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The concert, along with the fireworks, _______________ (start/starts) at 9 PM.

2. Both my brother and I _______________ (is/are) excited for the trip.

3. Neither the manager nor the employees _______________ (agree/agrees) with the new policy.

4. The collection of stamps _______________ (was/were) displayed at the museum.

5. Many of the students _______________ (has/have) received scholarships for their achievements.

Practice Set 9:

9. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. A group of musicians are/is performing on stage.

2. Either the red or the green apples are/is ripe.

3. The jury members is/are reaching a verdict.

4. One of the books have/has fallen off the shelf.

5. The flock of birds is/are migrating south for the winter.

Practice Set 10: 

10. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The team, along with their coach, _______________ (celebrate/celebrates) the victory.

2. Both the cat and the dog _______________ (sleeps/sleep) in the same bed.

3. Neither the book nor the movie _______________ (interest/interests) me.

4. The bundle of keys _______________ (was/were) found on the kitchen counter.

5. Many of the students _______________ (participate/participates) in the school play.

Practice Set 11: 

11. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. A group of athletes is/are competing in the tournament.

2. Either the red or the blue dress are/is suitable for the occasion.

3. The committee members was/were reviewing the proposal.

4. One of the books have/has been borrowed from the library. 5. The swarm of bees is/are buzzing around the garden.

Practice Set 12:

12. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The band, along with their manager, _______________ (perform/performs) at the festival.

2. Both the book and the magazine _______________ (has/have) interesting articles.

3. Neither the students nor the teacher _______________ (understand/understands) the complex equation.

4. The group of friends _______________ (enjoy/enjoys) hiking in the mountains.

5. Many of the employees _______________ (work/works) remotely.

Practice Set 13: 

13. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. A team of scientists was/were conducting experiments.

2. Either the red or the green oranges is/are delicious.

3. The jury members were/was deliberating the verdict.

4. One of the candidates have/has been selected for the job.

5. The flock of birds is/are migrating north for the summer.

Practice Set 14:

14. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The choir, along with the conductor, _______________ (sing/sings) beautifully.

2. Both the car and the bicycle _______________ (is/are) in the garage.

3. Neither the cake nor the cookies _______________ (tastes/taste) good.

4. The collection of rare coins _______________ (belong/belongs) to my grandfather.

5. Many of the students _______________ (excel/excels) in mathematics.

Practice Set 15: 

15. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. A group of actors is/are rehearsing for the play.

2. Either the red or the blue shoes are/is suitable for the occasion.

3. The committee members was/were discussing the proposal.

4. One of the pens have/has run out of ink.

5. The pack of wolves is/are hunting for food.

Practice Set 16:

16. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The orchestra, along with the conductor, _______________ (performs/perform) classical symphonies.

2. Both the laptop and the tablet _______________ (is/are) on the desk.

3. Neither the apples nor the oranges _______________ (tastes/taste) sour.

4. The stack of books _______________ (belongs/belong) to the library.

5. Many of the students _______________ (participate/participates) in the science fair.

Practice Set 17: 

17. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. A group of artists were/was showcasing their paintings.

2. Either the red or the yellow tulip is/are blooming in the garden.

3. The jury members were/was reviewing the evidence.

4. One of the keys have/has gone missing.

5. The herd of elephants is/are crossing the savannah.

Practice Set 18: 

18. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

1. The choir, along with their conductor, _______________ (sings/sing) beautifully.

2. Both the computer and the printer _______________ (is/are) in the office.

3. Neither the cake nor the cookies _______________ (taste/tastes) good.

4. The collection of vintage cars _______________ (belong/belongs) to the museum.

5. Many of the team members _______________ (excel/excels) in sports.

Practice Set 19: 

19. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement :.

1. A group of students was/were attending the lecture.

2. Either the red or the green mangoes is/are ripe.

3. The committee members are/is reviewing the proposals.

4. One of the books have/has been misplaced.

Practice Set 20:

20. choose the correct verb (singular or plural) to complete each sentence:.

2. Both the cat and the dog _______________ (sleep/sleeps) soundly at night.

3. Neither the book nor the magazine _______________ (interest/interests) me.

4. The group of friends _______________ (enjoy/enjoys) spending time together.

Practice Set 21: 

21. rewrite the following sentences with the correct subject-verb agreement:.

1. A herd of cattle were/was grazing in the field.

2. Either the red or the blue dress is/are available in your size.

3. The committee members was/were discussing the new proposal.

4. One of the keys have/has been misplaced.

5. The flock of birds is/are migrating to warmer climates.

Solution Keys : Subject-verb agreement Practice sets

Answers key 1:  .

1. study 2. jump  3. is   4. are   5. is  

Answers Key 2:  

1. has 2. is 3. are 4. was  5. has  

Answers Key 3:  

1. play 2. goes   3. are   4. is   5. has  

Answers Key 4:  

1. is 2. are   3. has  4. are   5. has  

Answers Key 5:  

1. starts 2. are   3. wants 4. were   5. have 

Answers Key 6:  

1. are 2. is   3. are 4. has   5. is

Answers Key 7:  

1. shines 2. sing  3. are  4. study   5. play

Answers Key 8:  

1. starts 2. are 3. agree  4. were   5. Have

Answers Key 9:  

1. starts 2. are 3. agree  4. were   5. have

Answers Key 10:  

1. celebrates 2. sleep 3. interests  4. were   5. paticipate

Answers Key 11:  

1. are 2. is 3. were  4. has   5. Is

Answers Key 12:  

1. performs 2. have 3. understands  4. enjoy   5. work

Answers Key 13:  

1. was 2. is 3. was  4. has   5. is

Answers Key 14:  

1. sings 2. is 3. taste  4. belong   5. excel 

Answers Key 15:  

1. sings 2. is 3. taste  4. belong   5. Excel 

Answers Key 16:  

1. performs 2. are 3. taste  4. belong   5. participate

Answers Key 17:  

1. were 2. is 3. was  4. has 5. is

Answers Key 18:  

1. sings 2. are 3. taste  4. belong 5. excel

Answers Key 19:  

1. were 2. is 3. is  4. has 5. is

Answers Key 20:  

1. celebrates2. sleep 3. interests  4. enjoys 5. work

Answers Key 21:  

1. was 2. is 3. was 4. has 5. is

FAQs on What is a subject-verb agreement?

Q. is subject-verb agreement essential in everyday communicatio n .

A: Absolutely. Proper agreement enhances sentence clarity and overall communication effectiveness.

Q. What is the role of collective nouns in subject-verb agreement?

A: Collective nouns are singular and require singular verbs, even though they refer to groups of individuals.

Q. Are there exceptions to the subject-verb agreement rule? 

A: While some situations might seem tricky, the rule remains steadfast. The golden rule of subject-verb agreement: singular subjects harmonize with singular verbs, while plural subjects dance with plural verbs.

Q. How can I improve my subject-verb agreement skills? 

A: Engage in grammar exercises, proofread your work, and read extensively to reinforce your understanding and application of subject-verb agreement.

Related posts:

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, subject-verb agreement on sat writing: strategies and practice.

SAT Writing

Subject-Verb Agreement may be the most tested grammatical rule on the SAT . Therefore, just by mastering this rule and its applications, you will be well on your way toward achieving a ridiculously good score on the SAT Writing.

While the rule itself is relatively simple, the questions related to it can be challenging and a bit tricky. In this article, we’ll teach you how to become a master of all things subject-verb agreement on the SAT.

In this post, I’ll do the following:

• Give you a clear understanding of subject-verb agreement.
• Explain why and how subject-verb agreement questions on the SAT can be tricky.
• Offer general strategies that can help you correctly answer subject-verb agreement questions.
• Provide you with practice questions so you can test what you’ve learned.

Review: What's a Subject?

Simply, a subject is the noun which corresponds with a verb in a sentence . In a sentence where there is an action, the subject is the noun which is doing the action. Here is an example:

Justin saved the world.

Justin is the subject because he did the saving.

In a sentence where there is a description, typically using a form of the verb “to be”, the subject is the noun which is being described. Consider this beautifully written sentence:

Justin is amazingly humble.

Justin is the subject because he is the person who is amazingly humble.

Now that we have a basic understanding of a subject, let's define this ubiquitous SAT grammar rule.

What Is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement is a rule stating that all subjects must agree with their verbs in number . Singular subjects take singular verbs . Plural subjects take plural verbs .

Most of the subject-verb agreement questions on the SAT deal with verb forms in the third-person singular form (he/she/it/one) and third-person plural forms (they).

In the present and present perfect verb tenses, third person singular verb forms end in an “s” .   Third person plural verb forms do not .

Let's check out an example sentence to give you a better understanding of this rule:

The celebrity chef cook lobster and foie gras.

This sentence probably already "sounds" wrong to your ear, but let's break down exactly why. The subject of this sentence is "chef". Obviously, because we are only talking about one chef, the subject is singular . Therefore, the verb should be in the singular form. However, "cook" is the third-person plural form of the verb so this sentence is incorrect. Here is how the sentence should read:

The celebrity chef cooks lobster and foie gras.

Here's another basic example:

The gymnasts performs incredible feats of strength.

In the above sentence, the subject is "gymnasts" because they are doing the performing.   "Gymnasts" is plural so the verb should be in the plural form .  However, "performs" is in the singular form. This is the corrected sentence:

The gymnasts perform incredible feats of strength.

This rule is relatively basic and easy to comprehend, right? Some of you may be thinking that all subject-verb agreement errors on the SAT will be as simple to detect as they were in the example sentences above. However, in traditional SAT fashion, sentences on the SAT are intentionally deceptive and questions related to subject-verb agreement can be rather challenging.

Subject-Verb Agreement questions can deceive you

Why Are These Questions Tricky?

Generally, questions related to subject-verb agreement on the SAT can be difficult because the subject is usually not placed directly in front of the verb.

This problem appears in two ways: Interrupting Phrases, and inverted sentences where the subject follows the verb.

Common Trap #1: Interrupting Phrases

Interrupting phrases are phrases that separate the subject from the verb . Such phrases make locating the subject and determining whether the verb should be singular or plural more difficult. There are specific types of interrupting phrases and we'll take a closer look at a few of them. You don't know need to know all of the specific grammar terms, but it's important to recognize how they influence subject-verb agreement questions .

Non-Essential Clauses

Non-essential clauses are phrases describe a noun, often the subject of a subject-verb agreement question on the SAT. Non-essential clauses are surrounded by commas. These clauses can be removed without creating grammatical errors or changes in the meaning of a sentence . Take, for example, this sentence:

My doctor, who is very unfriendly , spoke to me for less than a minute.

The phrase in bold is a non-essential clause. It is separated by commas and removing the clause does not create an error or change the meaning of the sentence. The phrase is only used to provide descriptive information about the subject. See:

My doctor , who is very unfriendly, spoke to me for less than a minute.

A non-essential clause often starts with a relative pronoun (which, who, whose, or where), but it doesn't in a phrase known as an appositive . An appositive functions like a non-essential clause, but it doesn't have a verb. Here is an example:

My doctor, a very unfriendly man , spoke to me for less than a minute.

Again, the phrase provides information about the doctor, but it can be removed and will not create any errors or change the meaning of the sentence.

So, how will knowing about these phrases help you correctly answer SAT questions related to subject-verb agreement? I'll explain.

Non-Essential Clauses and Appositives on the SAT

On the SAT, these phrases will be placed between subjects and verbs to trick you into thinking a subject is singular or plural . Look at this example of an incorrectly written sentence in which I've underlined the subject and bolded the verb:

My math teacher , who is extremely demanding and yells at all the students, give too much homework.

The subject is singular and the verb is in the plural form. However, there is a non-essential clause separating the subject from the verb so it is more difficult to locate the error in subject-verb agreement.

Also, on the SAT, there will often be a plural noun in the non-essential clause placed right next to the verb in such a sentence.   Many test takers will incorrectly assume that "students" is the subject,  especially if you read the question quickly in one go.  Here is the corrected version of the above sentence:

My math teacher , who is extremely demanding and yells at all the students, gives too much homework.

So, how do you avoid falling into this common trap that the SAT will set for you?

For these types of questions, always cross out appositives and non-essential clauses . Doing so will make it easier to notice any issues with subject-verb agreement. The resulting sentence should be grammatically correct. Let's do this with the incorrectly written version of our previous example:

Crossing out the non-essential clause leaves us with "My math teacher give too much homework." The subject-verb agreement error in that sentence is easy to spot.

Here is another type of interrupting phrase, probably the most common on the SAT: the prepositonal phrase.

Prepositional Phrases

Quick Review: prepositional phrase begins with a preposition. Prepositions provide additional details about nouns and often answer the questions "Where?", "When?", or provide descriptive information. Here is a chart showing examples of commonly used prepositions:

On the SAT, prepositional phrases are often inserted between subjects and verbs to make errors in subject-verb agreement less noticeable.  Take a look at this incorrectly written sentence with the prepositional phrase underlined:

Changes for the new and improved SAT is going to be implemented soon.

The subject of the sentence is "changes" and the prepositional phrase provides descriptive information about the changes. Because the subject is plural, the verb should be in the plural form .

Once again, notice how the SAT can trick you by putting a singular noun, SAT, right before the verb, "is." If you go by ear, you're likely to fall prey to this trap.

Here is the corrected version of the sentence:

Changes for the new and improved SAT are going to be implemented soon.

The approach you should take with sentences that contain a prepositional phrase is very similar to the one you should use with non-essential clauses and appositives.

My ghost writer. He knows his SAT grammar.

Cross out the prepositional phrase and the resulting sentence should be grammatically correct . Also, doing so will make it easier for you to identify the subject and ensure that the subject and verb agree. The subject will never be contained within a prepositional phrase. Let's use the cross out method with the above incorrectly written sentence:

The subject-verb agreement error is much more obvious. Hooray!

Interrupting phrases are not the only tactic the SAT uses to complicate subject-verb agreement questions.

Common Trap #2: Sometimes the Subject Will Follow the Verb

Occasionally, the normal word order of a sentence will be changed so that a prepositional phrase appears at the beginning of a sentence and the subject will follow the verb.  In these sentences, it can be difficult to identify the subject and determine whether there is an error in subject-verb agreement. Take, for example, the following sentence with the prepositional phrase underlined and the verb in bold:

On my forehead resides five unsightly pimples.

We know that a subject cannot be contained within a prepositional phrase and the subject must correspond with the verb. What is doing the residing? The pimples. And "on my forehead" provides information about where the pimples are located.  Because the subject is plural, the verb needs to be in the plural form:

On my forehead   reside five unsightly pimples.

The correctly written sentence may sound more awkward to you because the noun "forehead" is singular and it is placed right next to the plural form of a verb. That is why you should focus on the rules and not rely on what sounds right .

In rare cases, the verb comes before the subject but is not preceded by a preposition.  What? How is that possible? Check out this sentence with the subject underlined and the verb in bold:

Eating Hot Cheetos is fun, but less fun is its consequences .

In the sentence, what is less fun? The consequences. Therefore, "consequences" is the subject which corresponds with the verb. There is an error in subject-verb agreement. The sentence should read like this:

Eating Hot Cheetos is fun, but less fun are its consequences .

The order of the words has been changed, but this sentence is saying that "The consequences are less fun." So, how should you tackle sentences in which the subject follows the verb?

In these sentences in which the subject follows the verb, simply rearrange the sentence so that it follows the normal structure of subject then verb . This will enable you to more easily spot errors in subject-verb agreement. If you did that in the incorrectly written example above, you would be left with "its consequences is less fun". The subject is right in front of the verb and the error is obvious.

Application: Real SAT Example

So, we’ve established that subject-verb agreement questions can be tricky because the subject is often not placed directly in front of the verb.  Let’s see how this plays out with an actual SAT question. First, let's look at a sentence with an interrupting phrase.

The subject of this sentence is “research”. The phrase “by several scientists” is a prepositional phrase providing descriptive information about the research.  Therefore, the subject is singular and the verb should be in the   singular form . If you get rid of the prepositional phrase, the sentence reads "research suggest". B is the answer ; the word should be “suggests”.

There are additional situations which complicate the most basic questions that test subject-verb agreement. Now we'll take a look at some of these specific situations.

Common Trap #3: Compound Subjects

If the subject is two singular nouns connected by “and”, then the verb should be in the plural form.  Here is an elementary sentence illustrating this rule:

Justin and the SAT are friends.

The subject is both Justin and the SAT so the verb needs to be in the plural form.  

Here is a more difficult SAT-style example in which a prepositional phrase is also placed at the beginning of the sentence:

Under my bed exists a pen and a Taco Bell receipt from 1994 .

So, where is the subject? "Under my bed" is a prepositional phrase - that's not the subject.  What exists? Both a pen and a Taco Bell receipt. We can rearrange the sentence order so that the sentence reads that "A pen and a Taco Bell receipt exists". Because there is a compound subject, the verb should be in the plural form.  This is the corrected version of the sentence:

Under my bed exist a pen and a Taco Bell receipt from 1994.

Application: Real SAT Example

Here is an example of an actual SAT subject-verb agreement question that uses a compound subject.

The subject is both the time and the place.  Therefore, the verb should be in the plural form .  Also, there is an additional error in the sentence in that “to approving” should be “to the approval”.  The correct answer is C.

Collective Nouns

Another unique situation that affects subject-verb agreement involves the use of collective nouns.  Collective nouns are singular nouns that refer to groups of people. On the SAT, these nouns, if used in the singular form, should be used with singular verbs.  Examples of collective nouns include team , band , company , and committee. 

Keep in mind that subject-verb agreement questions with collective nouns are rare, but I have seen this type of question on actual SATs. This is what the sentence would look like:

After losing by thirty points, the basketball team have decided to fire its coach.

Even though there are multiple people on a team, the subject is referring to one team .  Therefore, the subject is singular and the verb should be in the singular form.  This is corrected version of the sentence:

After losing by thirty points, the basketball team has decided to fire its coach.

Other Singular Subjects That Can Be Tricky

Aside from collective nouns, there are other specific types of subjects that may intuitively appear to be plural but are singular and require a singular verb.

Each=Singular

The word “each” implies that you’re referring to each thing individually so you should use a singular verb when “each” is the subject.  This is an example of an incorrectly written sentence using "each" as the subject:

Each of the members of the team are athletic.

Keep in mind that "of the members" and "of the team" are prepositional phrases. After removing the prepostional phrases, the sentence reads "Each are athletic." Each is our subject so the verb should be singular . This is the correct version:

Each of the members of the team is athletic.

Every=Singular

Similarly, the word “every” implies that you’re referring to each thing individually.  Think of the word “every” as implicitly stating “every one”. Here is an example of this rule in effect:

Every person in each of my classes are intelligent.  

Although all of the students are intelligent, this sentence is stating that every single student is intelligent. Also, the use of the singular noun "person" further indicates that the subject is singular and requires a singular verb. Remember that "in each of my classes" is a prepositional phrase. This is how the sentence should look:

Every person in each of my classes is intelligent.

Gerunds When Used as Subjects=Singular

A gerund is a verb which is used as a noun and ends in “ing”. When a gerund is being used as a subject, then the subject is singular.  Look at this example:

Remembering the names of all of the Kardashian sisters are easy.

 To determine the subject, think about what is easy. Also, we know that "of all of the Kardashian sisters" is a prepositional phrase which we can cross out and will not contain the subject. Therefore, we're left with "Remembering the names are easy". Even though "names" is plural, "the names" is not the subject and simply provides additional information about what we're remembering.  The subject is "Remembering", a gerund which requires a singular verb.  So, here is the corrected version:

Remembering the names of all of the Kardashian sisters is easy.

Who is this?

It's time to take a look at an actual SAT subject-verb agreement question that includes one of these uniquely singular subjects.

The subject is the gerund “storing”, which is singular.  Therefore, the verb should be “increases” and the answer is B .  Also, because “delays” is singular and shares the same subject, you should know that any verb which corresponds with the same subject should be in the singular form as well.

Now that we've looked at various types of subject-verb agreement questions, let's go over strategies you can use on your SAT to help determine if you're encountering a subject-verb agreement question and ensure that you answer the question correctly.

Ready to go beyond just reading about the SAT? Then you'll love the free five-day trial for our SAT Complete Prep program . Designed and written by PrepScholar SAT experts , our SAT program customizes to your skill level in over 40 subskills so that you can focus your studying on what will get you the biggest score gains.

Click on the button below to try it out!

General Strategies for SAT Subject-Verb Agreement

Look for errors in subject-verb agreement when a verb is underlined.

In any of the subsections (sentence improvement, identify the error, paragraph improvement), if a verb is underlined, make sure that there are no errors in subject-verb agreement.

Always Identify the Subject

Both subjects of sentences and subjects of clauses must agree with their verbs.  For each verb, find the noun which corresponds with that specific verb.   Then, determine whether that subject is singular or plural and make sure that the subject and verb agree. 

The Subject is Never Part of a Prepositional Phrase

Be aware that the subject will not be part of a prepositional phrase.  Most subject-verb agreement questions on the SAT separate a subject from a verb with a prepositional phrase.

Cross Out Interrupting Phrases

The SAT tries to deceive you by placing long phrases in between the subject and the verb. Often, the number of the noun closest to the verb will not match the number of the subject. By crossing out the interrupting phrase, you will have an easier time identifying the subject and determining whether there is an error in subject-verb agreement.

Be Able to Recognize the Common Tricks

Knowing the common tricks the SAT uses on questions that test your knowledge of subject-verb agreement can be helpful.  The better you know these tricks, the more quickly you’ll be able to identify them and correctly answer subject-verb agreement questions.

Additional Practice

Hopefully, by this point you thoroughly understand subject-verb agreement and how to correctly answer any subject-verb agreement question that may appear on the SAT. I've created some practice problems to test you on what you've learned. Remember to use the general strategies I referenced above.

1.  Every summer in Los Angeles (A) the sound of children yelling  (B) at the beach on a weekday indicate  (C) that it is summer vaction (D). No error (E)

2. The selfie, which is  (A) a photograph taken  (B) by many narcissistic people, is  (C) extremely popular on various social networking websites (D). No error (E)

3. An effective and helpful  (A) tutor demonstrates  (B) exceptional knowledge, is responsive to the needs  (C) of her students, and listen  (D) to them carefully. No error (E)

4. Extremely careful analysis  (A) of handwriting samples show  (B) that creative people are more likely to write  (C) rounded letters (D). No Error (E)

5. Playing sports  (A) such as basketball, football, or baseball allow  (B) children to learn teamwork  (C) and develop (D) coordination. No error (E)

Answers: 1. C, 2. E, 3. D, 4. B, 5. B

What's Next?

If you want to know everything that is tested on the SAT Writing section, read our article about what's actually on SAT Writing . After you have mastered the basic questions, study the hardest SAT Writing questions.

Finally, if you're aiming for an 800 on SAT Writing, find out how to get a perfect score from a perfect scorer.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?

Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program . We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more.

Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses . If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next.

Check out our 5-day free trial:

Justin has extensive experience teaching SAT prep and guiding high school students through the college admissions and selection process. He is firmly committed to improving equity in education and helping students to reach their educational goals. Justin received an athletic scholarship for gymnastics at Stanford University and graduated with a BA in American Studies.

Student and Parent Forum

Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Subject Verb Agreement

This a tutorial study based on grammar rule. Here briefly focus on Subject-Verb Agreement.  Subjects and verbs must “Agree” with one another in number (singular or plural). Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is a plural, its verb must also be plural.  In the present tense, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways: nouns ADD an s to the singular form; verbs REMOVE the s from the singular form.

Selecting a Topic and Purpose

Delivering the speech, organizing the body of the speech, lecture on comparison and contrast writing, the roman empire, annual report 2017 of quasem drycells limited, p2 delivery drones that dock and recharge on their own are unveiled by zipline, experience letter format for sales officer, electronic waste resources recovery, one price shop, latest post, a new geological study reveals that scandinavia originated in greenland, mid-ocean ridge (mor), harnessing hydrogen at the genesis of life, ngc 5728’s faint characteristics are exposed, astronomers discover the oldest black hole ever observed, atomic hydrogen welding.

Have a thesis expert improve your writing

Check your thesis for plagiarism in 10 minutes, generate your apa citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use

Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use

Published on 22 August 2022 by Fiona Middleton . Revised on 18 April 2023.

Subject-verb agreement means that the subject of the sentence matches the verb describing its action. This helps your reader understand who or what is doing something and makes your writing easier to read.

First, identify the subject (the person or thing doing the action) and the verb (the action word) in a sentence. If the subject is singular, the verb describing its action should be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

While subject-verb agreement is easy in simple sentences like these, it can become tricky in more complex sentences. This article teaches you the most important rules and common mistakes.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Compound subjects, subjects separated from verbs, indefinite pronouns, subjects that come after the verb, numbers and amounts, collective and uncountable nouns, abbreviations and acronyms.

Sometimes two or more subjects are linked to one verb. These are called compound subjects. To decide whether to use a singular or plural verb, consider how the subjects are linked.

Subjects linked with ‘and’

When subjects are linked with and , use a plural verb.

Exception : When the two nouns don’t refer to separate things but to a single entity, use a singular verb.

Subjects linked with ‘or’

When singular subjects are linked with or , either…or , nor , neither…nor , use a singular verb.

If all the subjects are plural, use a plural verb.

If the compound subject contains both singular and plural nouns , the verb takes the form of the closest subject.

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

Correct my document today

Often the verb does not directly follow the subject, which can lead to agreement mistakes. Make sure to match the verb with the correct subject, especially in long sentences with phrases or clauses in between subject and verb.

‘As well as’ and other tricky phrases

The phrase as well as is not the same as the conjunction and . Subjects linked by and  always take a plural verb. In contrast, phrases like as well as , in addition to , or along with are not linked to the verb. If the subject is singular, the verb should stay singular.

These refer to non-specific persons, places, and things (e.g., someone , other , anyone , anything , somewhere , every , none ).

Most indefinite pronouns are treated as singular subjects. However, some are always treated as plural, as they refer to multiple items or amounts.

Certain indefinite pronouns may be treated as either singular or plural, depending on whether they refer to multiple items or to a proportion of a single item.

Sometimes the subject follows the verb, especially when the sentence begins with there or here . In this case,  there is not the subject – the true subject should be identified and matched with the correct verb form.

Note : Identifying the true subject can be difficult when using these phrases in a long sentence, which can be confusing for your readers, so be careful when starting a sentence in this way.

When using  numbers, percentages or proportions , the correct form of verb agreement depends on exactly what you’re referring to. It’s helpful to look beyond the numbers and find the true subject.

If you’re referring to a specific number or amount of something, match the verb with the noun rather than the number.

This also applies when the number refers to an unnamed noun.

If the subject of the sentence is a number referring to a unified quantity of something, use a singular verb.

Proportions

Terms that describe a proportion of something are usually followed by ‘of’ (such as most of ). First look at the noun you are describing to determine if it’s singular or plural, then match it to the verb.

It can be hard to work out whether to treat collective and uncountable nouns as singular or plural.

Collective nouns

A collective noun refers to a group of people or things as a singular whole (e.g., population , team , committee , staff ). The form of verb depends on the style of English you are using.  US English  tends to use a singular verb, while UK English tends to use a plural verb. This also applies to the names of companies and organizations.

However, in both styles of English, this rule is somewhat flexible depending on whether you want to emphasise the actions of the collective as a whole or the individual actions of its members.

*A singular verb makes more sense here, as the emphasis is on the company as a unified entity.

**A plural verb makes more sense here, as the emphasis is on the individual staff members.

Uncountable nouns

These nouns describe abstract concepts or masses that can’t be counted (e.g., research , power , water  and vegetation ). They take a singular verb.

Note :  Data is technically a plural noun, but it is widely treated as an uncountable noun, so it is acceptable to use either the singular or plural verb form.

Abbreviations and acronyms usually take a singular verb. If you’re unsure, check if the full version of the acronym or abbreviation is a singular, plural or collective noun, and refer to the rules above. It’s most important to use one form of agreement consistently.

In the examples above, RPM (‘revolutions per minute’) refers to a stand-alone number, so it takes a singular verb. HNS (‘hazardous and noxious substances’), on the other hand, is used to describe multiple things, so it takes a plural verb.

Sources for this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

Middleton, F. (2023, April 18). Subject-Verb Agreement | Examples, Rules & Use. Scribbr. Retrieved 15 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/verb/subject-verb-agreement-explained/

Aarts, B. (2011).  Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015).  Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage  (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016).  Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Is this article helpful?

Fiona Middleton

Other students also liked, what is a pronoun | definition, types & examples, what is a proper noun | definition & examples, comma splice | definition, examples, & rules.

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

Course: Grammar   >   Unit 9

Subject-verb agreement.

• Pronoun-antecedent agreement

A gallon of milk _____ four dollars.

• (Choice A)   cost A cost
• (Choice B)   costs B costs

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Subject-Verb Agreement: 12 Rules & Examples

• Updated on  
• Feb 6, 2024

Subjects-verb agreement forms a significant part of any statement that you make. So, if you aim to perfect grammar , you need to memorize the rules that apply when you put together a subject and a verb. These rules are collectively popular as subject-verb agreement.

We agree that these agreement rules can be a bit tricky and complicated but once you learn them, you will use verbs in their correct form with ease. So, go through them, and you are ready to ace any test on the subject-verb agreement like a grammar nazi .

This Blog Includes:

Analysis with examples, 1. a singular subject goes with a singular verb, 2. a plural subject goes with a plural verb, 3. subjects joined by ‘and’ go with a plural verb, 4. a conjunction connects singular and plural subjects, 5. a sentence contains both a singular and a plural pronoun, 6. using “do not” and “does not” in sentences, 7. verb always agree with subject in sentences with additional phrases, 8. words like ‘each’, ‘every’ and ‘no’ are followed by singular verb, 9. mass nouns like civics and dollars are followed by singular verb, 10. plurale tantum uses plural verb, 11. collective nouns take on singular verb, 12. if the subject is singular, the verb will also be singular, subject-verb agreement exception rules, compound subjects, singular indefinite pronouns, plural indefinite pronouns, noun phrase as subject, collective nouns, inverted subjects, titles of single entities, subject-verb agreement exercise for practise.

Also Read: Learn English Grammar from Scratch

What is a Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement, also known as “ subject-verb concord ,” is the matching of a sentence’s subject and verb in tense, aspect, and mood (abbreviated as TAM ), which translates to number, person, and gender.

Except for pronouns , English does not utilise grammatical gender, and only the verb changes depending on whether it is in the first, second, or third person. That means, the majority of English subject-verb agreement is based on quantity:

• If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular;
• Whereas, if the subject is numerous, the verb must be plural.

When the subject follows the verb (especially in sentences beginning with the expletives “there is” or “there are” ), special care determines the subject and makes certain that the verb agrees with it.

For example , if you use a single subject ‘ He ‘ then the single verb ‘ is ‘ would appear:

‘He is talking too much. The two subjects and verbs must align to ensure agreement.’

Even this can be perplexing because the first-person singular (“I climb the fence”) has the identical verb pattern as the first-person plural (“We climb the fence”) .

Subject-verb agreement in English, besides the verb “ be “, adapts verbs to the third-person singular (“It climbs the fence”).

12 Subject-Verb Agreement Rules with Examples

Let’s begin with the 12 most common and important rules of Subject-Verb Agreement:

Note:- Subject = underlined | Verb = Italicized

In this statement, Sohra is singular and therefore will take on a singular verb i.e., plays. 

The second rule of Subject-Verb Agreement is as follows: A plural subject goes with a plural verb.

In this statement, ‘They’ is a plural pronoun and therefore will take on a plural verb i.e., play. 

Learn all about Active and Passive Voice: Rules & Exercises

The next rule of Subject-Verb Agreement says that if you connect in a sentence two or more nouns or pronouns using “and” then the verb will be plural. 

In this statement, there are two nouns Rahul and Anekha connected by “and” and therefore the verb used is plural i.e., “are”. 

In this statement, there are two nouns and therefore the verb used is plural i.e., sing. 

The next rule of Subject-Verb Agreement focuses on the use of or/nor. If in a sentence two or more nouns or pronouns are connected using “or/nor” then the verb used will be singular.  

In this statement, the two nouns class teacher and principal are connected using “or” and therefore the verb used is singular i.e. sanctions. 

Quiz Your Inner Grammar Nazi With this Grammar Test

In this rule of Subject-Verb Agreement, when a sentence contains both a singular and a plural pronoun, the verb used will be according to the pronoun closer to the verb. 

In this statement, the plural noun “friends” is closest to the verb and therefore will be plural i.e., meet. 

A singular pronoun uses “does not” and a plural one uses “do not”. But there is an exception to this rule. This rule of Subject-Verb Agreement explains that “Do not” is used with the singular pronouns “I” and “You” instead of “do not” as it ideally should be. 

In this statement, she is singular and therefore, the verb will not be used. 

In this statement, ‘They’ is plural and therefore, the verb ‘do not’ will be used. 

In this statement, I am a singular pronoun but ‘do not’ will be used along with it instead of does not. And that’s why it’s an exception. 

Also Learn about Subject vs Predicate: Types, Examples, Practice Questions

In case a sentence has an additional phrase, the verb should always agree with the subject of the statement and not be influenced by the pronouns or nouns of the additional phrase. 

In this statement, “this book” is the subject and it’s singular. Therefore, the verb used will also be singular i.e., “is” and not “are”. 

The next rule of Subject-Verb Agreement is about the use of each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one as words which are singular in nature and therefore will always follow a singular verb. 

In this statement, “each one” is used and therefore, the singular verb “is” will be used. 

In this statement, “neither” is used and therefore, the singular verb “is” will be used. 

Here are the English Grammar Tenses rules with Examples

Mass nouns like civics, mathematics , dollars, measles, and news which cannot be counted use singular verbs under the rules of Subject-Verb Agreement.

In this statement, the mass noun “mathematics” is used along with a singular verb i.e., is. 

In English, there is a set of nouns called Plurale Tantum which doesn’t have a singular form like trousers, scissors, pants, etc. Such nouns always use a plural verb. 

In this statement, black trousers refer to a single object but use the plural verb i.e., are. 

Here are the Best English Grammar Books: To Master Your Proficiency

In this rule of Subject-Verb Agreement, collective nouns like class, committee, family, group, etc. take on singular verbs. 

In this statement, history class is a collective noun and therefore the singular noun “starts” will be used along with it. 

The number of subjects is not influenced by expressions like accompanied by, in addition to or including. If the subject is singular, the verb will also be singular and it will remain so irrespective of such expressions. 

In this statement, the subject “Neha” is singular and therefore the verb used is also singular i.e., “is”. The phrase accompanied by has no impact on the verb. 

Also Read: All about Regular and Irregular Verbs

• “ Neither” and “either” require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring to two separate things.
• When a sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and only one is plural, the verb should agree with the positive subject.
• “Anyone,” “everyone,” “someone,” “no one,” and “nobody” always require singular verbs.
• Words that indicate portions of a whole, such as “Percent,” “fraction,” “some,” “none,” and “remainder,” require a singular verb only if the object of the preposition is singular.
• “Who,” “that,” and “which” can be singular or plural, according to the noun directly in front of them.
• The phrase introduced by “as well as” or “along with” modifies the earlier word but doesn’t compound the subjects.
• Modifiers between the subject and verb do not affect whether the verb is singular or plural.

Quick Read: 5+ Golden Rules for Prepositions in English Grammar

15+ Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement

We move on to make a comprehensive list of examples of subject-verb agreement.

• Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.
• Neither my mom nor my sisters know how to swim.
• The creator and producer are arriving soon
• Something feels wrong here.
• Everybody enjoys a good cup of tea.
• Each does a good job at work.
• Several have reached the hotel.
• The bag of cookies was eaten.
• Both have had bad phases in life.
• The causes of this accident are poor driving and indiscipline.
• The bed and table I got at the showroom look nice in here.
• The members of the football team are pleased with the performance.
• The crowd is cheering.
• The jury has made an unfair decision.
• The majority has the authority most of the time.
• How are the friends taking the bad news?
• There are stones in my bag.
• Game of Thrones is a very long book to read.

So, these are the major rules of subject-verb agreement. We hope you understand every rule. Now it’s time to test your knowledge. Solve these questions and let’s see how many of them you get right on the first go. 

• John and his brother (is/are) playing football. 
• Aryan (do not/does not) like to play basketball. 
• Either of you (have/has) stolen the book. 
• Your pants (is/are) in the top shelf. 
• My family (belongs/belong) to the Mahou tribe. 
• Mr, Swamy as well as his family (is/are) quite humble. 
• Mary (sing/sings) very well. 
• The novel, including all the essays (take/takes) about two hours to read. 
• They (eat/eats) lunch together everyday. 
• The players as well as the coach (want/wants) to win. 
• My parents ( lives/live ) in Australia.
• Do anyone ( knows/know ) where the grocery store is?
• The little boy ( do not/does not ) like apples for some reason.
• Kavita and her sister ( is/are ) here to see you.
• You (has/have) brought all that I had asked for.

Ans: The subject is a thing which we are talking about like- 1. Tina is reading a book. 2. Sofia is eating an Apple. 3. Ram is dancing. 4. Riya is playing 5. Tarun is doing his HW on pc 6. Tushar is writing a letter to his Granny

Ans: Complete subject, simple subject, and compound subject.

Ans: The Collins Dictionary defines “concord” as the manner a term has a form appropriate for the number or gender of the noun or pronoun it refers to. The singular verb form and the singular pronoun “she,” for instance, are in agreement in the sentence “She hates it.”

With this blog, we hope that you understand what Subject-Verb Agreement rules are and how they are applied. This was all about nouns and pronouns. You can also follow Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.

Team Leverage Edu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

10 comments

Are you providing virtual/online lessons.

Hi Sam We at Leverage Edu provide online preparatory classes for GMAT, IELTS, GRE and SAT through Leverage Live which is an online learning platform. Give us a call on 1800572000 and enrol yourself for a demo-session.

This exercises n explanations in subject -verb agreement helped many people understand it clearer in simple ways

Thank you for your comment!

The quiz is helpful. the rules are nicely explained

Thanks for reading.

Questkon 1 is surely are. John and his brother are…

Explained nicely

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.