The Rules of

Subject-Verb Agreement in
Standard English
RULE 1 – A verb agrees with its subject in number.
Singular subjects take singular verbs:

Example: The car stays in the garage.

The flower smells good.

There is an old saying: “Opposites attract.” The rule for singular and plural verbs is
just the opposite of the rule for singular and plural nouns. Remember this when
you match subjects and verbs. You might guess that stays and smells are plural
verbs because they end in s. They aren’t. Both stays and smells are singular verbs.
RULE 2 – The number of the subject (singular or plural) is not
changed by words that come between the subject and the verb.

Example: One of the eggs is broken.

Of the eggs is a prepositional phrase.

The subject one and the verb is are both singular. Mentally omit the prepositional
phrase to make the subject verb-agreement easier to make.
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE 1
Direction: Choose the correct verb in each of the sentences below.

1. Your friend (talk-talks) too much.

2. The man with the roses (look-looks) like your brother.
3. The women in the pool (swim-swims) well.
4. Bill (drive-drives) a cab.
5. The football players (run-runs) five miles every day.
6. That red-haired lady in the fur hat (live-lives) across the street.
7. He (cook-cooks) dinner for his family.
8. The boys (walk-walks) to school every day.
9. The weather on the coast (appear-appears) to be good this weekend.
10. The center on the basketball team (bounce-bounces) the ball too high.
RULE 3 – Some subjects always take a singular verb
even though the meaning may seem plural.
These subjects always take singular verbs:
each someone either anyone neither nobody
one somebody no one anybody everyone everybody

Example: Someone in the game was (not were) hurt.

Neither of the men is (not are) working.
RULE 4 – The following words are usually plural in form, sometimes
singular depending upon their use in a sentence,
some, any, all, most, several

Example: Most of the news is good. (singular)

Most of the flowers were yellow. (plural)
All of the pizza was gone. (singular)
All of the children were late. (plural)
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE II
Directions: Circle the correct verb in the sentences below.
1. Each of the girls (look-looks) good on skis.
2. Everybody (was-were) asked to remain quiet.
3. Neither of the men (is-are) here yet.
4. (Is-Are) each of the girls ready to leave?
5. Several of the sheep (is-are) sick.
6. Some members of the faculty (is-are) present.
7. Nobody in the class (has-have) the answer.
8. Each of the girls (observe-observes) all the regulations.
9. All of the milk (is-are) gone.
10. Most of the seats (was-were) taken.
RULE 5 – Subjects joined by and are plural. Subjects joined by or or
nor take a verb that agrees with the last subject.

Example: Bob and George are leaving.

Neither Bob nor George is leaving.
Neither Bob nor his friends are leaving.
RULE 6 – There and here are never subjects. In sentences that
begin with these words, the subject is usually found later on in
the sentence.

Example: There were five books on the shelf.

(were, agrees with the subject book)
Here is the report you wanted.
(Is agrees with subject report)
RULE 7 – Collective nouns usually takes singular verb, depending
on their use in the sentence.
A collective noun is a noun used to name a whole group.

Following are some common examples:

army crowd orchestra audience flock public class group swarm
club herd team committee jury troop United States

Example:
The orchestra is playing a hit song.
(Orchestra is considered as one unit—singular.)
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT EXERCISE III
Directions: Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences below. Check your answers at
the bottom of this page.
1. Margo and her parents (visit-visits) each other often.
2. Either the cups or the glasses (are-is) in the dishwasher.
3. Vern and Fred (need-needs) a ride to work.
4. There (is-are) a dog, a cat, and a bird in the garage.
5. Neither Matt nor his brothers (was-were) at the party.
6. Here into the main ring of the circus (come-comes) the trained elephants.
7. Either the workers or the boss (deliver-delivers) the merchandise.
8. The committee (work-works) hard for better schools.
9. There (is-are) many things to do before the holidays.
10. The jury (was-were) polled for their verdicts.
11. Here (is-are) the nails you need for the projects.
12. Either Joyce or Ellen (was-were) here.
13. The United States (is-are) a country of contrast.
14. A magazine and a book (was-were) lying on the floor.
15. The family (is-are) occupied with their individual problems.
RULE 8 – Expressions of time, money, measurement, and weight
are usually singular when the amount is considered one unit.

Example:
Five dollars is (not ) too much to ask.
Ten days is (not ) not nearly enough time.
 RULE 9 – Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually
singular in meaning.

Example:
Mathematics is (not ) an easy subject for some people.
Physics is (not ) taught by Prof, Baldwin.

mumps home economics social studies economics measles calisthenics statistics

civics physics gymnastics phonics news acrobatics aesthetics thesis mathematics
RULE 10 – Don’t and Doesn’t must agree with the subject.
Use doesn’t after he, she, it.

Example:
Doesn’t he (not ) know how to sail?
They don’t (not ) make movies like that anymore.
SUBJECT-VERB EXERCISE IV
Directions: Circle the correct verb in each of the sentences
below.
1. Mumps (is-are) one of the most uncomfortable diseases.
2. One hundred dollars (is-are) not a lot of money to some people.
3. She (doesn’t-don’t) look very well today.
4. Twenty minutes (is-are) the amount of time it takes me to get home from work.
5. It (doesn’t-don’t) seem so cold today.
6. Gymnastics (is-are) easy for Angela.
7. Interesting news (is-are) what sells our paper.
8. A pound of cookies (cost-costs) about a dollar.
9. They (doesn’t-don’t) think they’ll win the game tonight.
10. He (don’t-doesn’t) speak very well.
PROGRESS CHECK ON SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
Directions: Write the correct verb in the blank to the left of each sentence.
was
1. _________________ Everybody (was-were) asked to be quiet.
Finish
2. _________________ In a marathon, few of the starters (finishes-finish) the race.
Is
3. _________________ Sixty days (is-are) not enough time to complete the project.
Are
4. _________________ All of the workers (is-are) receiving their bonus.
Is
5. _________________ On our street (is-are) many tall trees.
Doesn’t
6. _________________ It (don’t-doesn’t) make any difference.
Have
7. _________________ The value of cars and motorcycles (has-have) increased.
8. _________________
Are The principal and her husband (is-are) honored guests.
9. _________________
Were Either the pitcher or the base runners (was-were) caught napping.
Believe
10._________________ One of my friends (believe-believes) in E.S.P.
PROGRESS CHECK ON SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
Directions: Write the correct verb in the blank to the left of each sentence.
Is
11._________________ Have you ever heard the expression, “No new (is-are) goodnews?”
Were
12._________________ There (was-were) several dents in the car.
doesn’t
13._________________ Louise (doesn’t-don’t) want to drive that long distance.
14._________________
Pays Either Luis or Horace (pay-pays) the bills in our house.
15._________________
Were A boy and a girl (were-was) here to see you.
Is
16._________________ The box of apples (is-are) on the porch.
17._________________
Are Some of the job applicants (is-are) expected to pass the difficult screening test.
Is
18._________________ The army (is-are) conducting maneuvers in March.
Comes
19._________________ Here (come-comes) the family now.
20._________________
is Neither of us (is-are) going to work.
PROGRESS CHECK ON SUBJECT-VERB
AGREEMENT
Directions: Write the correct verb in the blank to the left of each sentence.

21._________________
don’t (Doesn’t-Don’t) they know when to quit?

is
22._________________ Thirty minutes (is-are) the time limit for the test.
is
23._________________ Measles (is-are) a disease most children experience.
is
24._________________ The class (is-are) turning in their registration forms today.
are
25._________________ Beyond the mountains (is-are) a fertile valley