Subject-Verb Agreement

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Subject - Verb Agreement Rules

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that


forms the background of the concept.
The dog growls when he is angry.
The dogs growl when they are angry.
2. Subordinate clauses that come between the subject and verb don't affect their
agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement.
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
4. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed
after the verb. Some care needs to be taken to identify each part correctly.
There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.
5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately
identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
Where are the pieces of this puzzle?
6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same
person or thing as a whole.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.
8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is
singular.
No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check in.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor,"
"neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is singular.
Either Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
10. The only time the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms
is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more," or "all" are
followed by a prepositional phrase. Then the object of the preposition determines the
form of the verb.
All of the chicken is gone.
All of the chickens are gone.
11. The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement or time.
Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor,"
"neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is plural.
Not only dogs but also cats are available at the animal shelter.
13. If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are connected by
the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," use the verb
form of the subject that is nearest the verb.
Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).
Everybody wants to be loved.
15. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns "few," "many," "several,"
"both," "all," and "some." These always take the plural form.
Few were left alive after the flood.
16. If two infinitives are separated by "and," they take the plural form of the verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form
of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
18. A collective noun, such as "team" or "staff," can be either singular or plural
depending upon the rest of the sentence. Typically, they take the singular form, as
the collective noun is treated as a cohesive single unit.
The herd is stampeding.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, and other similar works are treated as singular
and take a singular verb.
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.
20. Final rule: Remember, only the subject affects the verb! Nothing else matters.
Jacob, who owns sixteen houses, is on his way to becoming a billionaire.

Exceptions to the Rules


 "Anyone," "everyone," "someone," "no one," and "nobody" always require singular
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.
 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.
 Just because a word ends in -s doesn't automatically make it plural.

Subject/Verb Agreement Examples


Here are some examples of subject verb agreement (the subject is bolded and the verb
underlined):
 My dog always growls at the postal carrier.
 Basketballs roll across the floor.
 I don't understand the assignment.
 These clothes are too small for me.
 Peter doesn't like vegetables.
Compound Subjects
Compound subjects (two subjects in the same sentence) usually take a plural verb, unless
the combination is treated as singular in popular usage or the two subjects refer to the same
thing or person. Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with compound
subjects:
 Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.
 Neither my dad nor my brothers know how to ski.
 Pepperoni and cheese are great on a pizza.
 Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional meal in Ireland. (popular usage)
 The creator and producer is arriving soon. (both refer to same person)
When using "or" or "nor" in a compound subject containing a singular and plural subject, the
verb agrees with the closest subject. Examples of compound subjects using or, neither-nor,
or either-or include:
 My mom or dad is coming to the play. (singular)
 Neither gray nor white is my favorite color. (singular)
 Either Grandpa or my sisters are going to the park. (closest subject is plural)
 Either my sisters or Grandpa is going to the park. (closest subject is singular)
 Neither she nor I am going to college. (closest subject is singular)
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with singular indefinite pronouns:
 Each gets a trophy for playing.
 Somebody will pay for this.
 Anybody is more fun than you.
 Something is very wrong here.
 Everybody enjoys a good book.
 Nothing has been determined as of yet.
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with plural indefinite pronouns:
 Both are qualified for the job.
 Many went to the beach and got sunburned.
 Few know what it really takes to get ahead.
 Several are already on location.
 Some sugar is required for taste. (sugar is uncountable so singular verb used)
 Most of the cookies were eaten. (cookies are countable so plural verb used)
Midsentence Phrase or Clause
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with a phrase or clause between the
subject and verb:
 A theory of physics ascertains that a body in motion stays in motion.
 A virus in all the company's computers is a real threat to security.
 The causes of this prevalent disease are bad diet and lack of exercise.
 The couch and chair I got at the store look really nice in here.
 The members of the choir are very happy with the performance.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on meaning. Here are some examples
of subject verb agreement with collective nouns:
 The committee meets here every Thursday. (singular)
 The crowd is getting angry. (singular)
 The jury has finally reached a decision. (singular)
 The majority rules most of the time. (singular)
 The staff have gone their separate ways for the holidays. (plural)
Inverted Subjects
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with inverted subjects where the subject
follows the verb:
 There are seven clean plates in the dining room.
 There is a hair in my lasagna.
 Over the rainbow flies a bird.
 How are the employees enjoying the new building?
 A good gift is a gift card.
Subject/verb agreement is essential to ensure that a sentence is grammatically correct. 
Subject - Verb Agreement Rules
1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that
forms the background of the concept.
2. Subordinate clauses that come between the subject and verb don't affect their
agreement.
3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement.
4. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed
after the verb. Some care needs to be taken to identify each part correctly.
5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately
identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same
person or thing as a whole.
8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is
singular.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor,"
"neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is singular.
10. The only time the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms
is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more," or "all" are
followed by a prepositional phrase. Then the object of the preposition determines the
form of the verb.
11. The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement or time.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor,"
"neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is plural.
13. If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are connected by
the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," use the verb
form of the subject that is nearest the verb.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).
15. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns "few," "many," "several,"
"both," "all," and "some." These always take the plural form.
16. If two infinitives are separated by "and," they take the plural form of the verb.
17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form
of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural form.
18. A collective noun, such as "team" or "staff," can be either singular or plural
depending upon the rest of the sentence. Typically, they take the singular form, as
the collective noun is treated as a cohesive single unit.
19. Titles of books, movies, novels, and other similar works are treated as singular
and take a singular verb.
20. Final rule: Remember, only the subject affects the verb! Nothing else matters.

Exceptions to the Rules


 "Anyone," "everyone," "someone," "no one," and "nobody" always require singular
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.
 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.
 Just because a word ends in -s doesn't automatically make it plural.
Directions: Put a C if the sentence is correct, an X if it is not and correct the
sentence.
1. ___ They have been waiting a long 10. ___ That movie was awesome.
time.
11. ___ Cats and dogs love to run.
2. ___ The pen or the pencil are lost. 12. ___ He don't like chocolate.
13. ___ Her friends or Sarah excel at
3. ___ Someone don't understand.
volleyball.
4. ___ Those has been cheaper in the 14. ___ Each of these have been ruined.
past. 15. ___ Trousers are baggy now.
16. ___ The students, as well as the
5. ___ Randy and Juan like sports. teacher, are nervous about the test.
6. ___ These are really special. 17. ___ The news are on at 10.
18. ___ My family are a lot of fun.
7. ___ You rides with me. 19. ___ Mathematics is hard for many.
8. ___ All of them goes to school. 20. ___ The director, with all the cast
members, works very hard.
9. ___ Tony likes Mary.

Directions: Put a C if the sentence is correct, an X if it is not and correct the


sentence.
1. ___ They have been waiting a long 6. ___ These are really special.
time.
7. ___ You rides with me.
2. ___ The pen or the pencil are lost.
8. ___ All of them goes to school.
3. ___ Someone don't understand.
9. ___ Tony likes Mary.
4. ___ Those has been cheaper in the
10. ___ That movie was awesome.
past.
11. ___ Cats and dogs love to run.
5. ___ Randy and Juan like sports.
12. ___ He don't like chocolate.
13. ___ Her friends or Sarah excel at 17. ___ The news are on at 10.
volleyball. 18. ___ My family are a lot of fun.
14. ___ Each of these have been ruined. 19. ___ Mathematics is hard for many.
15. ___ Trousers are baggy now. 20. ___ The director, with all the cast
16. ___ The students, as well as the members, works very hard.
teacher, are nervous about the test.

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