.

Subject-verb agreement is an essential rule in English grammar

that plays a crucial role in ensuring clarity and precision in
communication. To achieve a good score in English proficiency
tests like IELTS or OET, candidates must demonstrate their ability
to match subject-verb agreement in both spoken and written
sentences.

What are the Subject and Verb of a sentence?

Subject: The subject tells us who or what the sentence is about,

like ‘the cat’ in ‘The cat sleeps.

Verb: It tells us what the subject is doing or what is happening to

the subject. For example, in the sentence “The cat sleeps,”
“sleeps” is the verb.

Together, the subject and verb form the core of a sentence,

providing the basic information needed to understand what is
happening.

While it may seem straightforward at first glance, the intricacies of

this rule can often lead to confusion among learners, especially
those for whom English is a second language.

The basic principle is simple: the subject and the verb must match
in number, meaning that singular subjects take singular verbs,
and plural subjects take plural verbs. However, as with many
aspects of language, there are nuances and exceptions that can
complicate matters.
 Don’t worry if some rules feel confusing at first; practice
makes them easier!

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

1. Singular and Plural Subjects and Verbs

 If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular.

Example: She writes every day.
 If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Example: They write 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.

2. Compound Subjects Connected by “And”

A compound subject consists of two or more subjects that share

the same verb and are joined by a conjunction (such as “and” or
 “or”). These subjects work together to perform the action of the
verb in the sentence. For example:

 “Tom and Jerry are best friends.”

 “The cat and the dog play in the yard.”
 “Either the teacher or the students will present the project.”
In each of these sentences, the compound subjects (Tom and
Jerry, the cat and the dog, either the teacher or the students)
share a single verb, making the sentence more concise and
connected.

The Subject-Verb Agreement with Compound Subjects

 When two or more nouns or pronouns are connected by “and,”

the verb should be plural.
Example: The student and the teacher discuss the project
regularly.
3. Phrases Between the Subject and Verb

 The verb agrees with the main subject, not any noun or pronoun
in phrases that separate them.
Example: The student, along with the committee
members, is excited.
“The student” (Singular) here is the main Subject not “the
committee members” therefore the verb is “is”.

4. Subjects Joined by “Or” or “Nor”

 When two singular nouns or pronouns are connected by “or” or

“nor,” the verb should be singular.
Example: The manager or the supervisor approves the proposal.
Rule of Proximity: If a compound subject includes both singular
and plural nouns, the verb agrees with the part closest to it.
Example: The professor or the students have chosen the topic.
 5. Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects

Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things. They

are used when the exact identity of the noun is not known or not
important. Here are some examples:

1. Singular Indefinite Pronouns: anyone, everyone, someone, no

one, nobody.
o Example: “Someone left their umbrella.”
2. Plural Indefinite Pronouns: both, few, many, several.
o Example: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
3. Singular or Plural Indefinite Pronouns: all, any, more, most,
none, some.
o Example: “All of the cake is gone.” (singular)
o Example: “All of the students are here.” (plural)
Indefinite pronouns help us talk about people or things in a
general way without specifying exactly who or what they are.

The Subject-Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns as

Subjects

As you can see certain indefinite pronouns always function as

singular, requiring a singular verb, whereas others are always
plural and necessitate a plural verb. Additionally, some can be
used as either singular or plural, depending on the situation.

 Words like “each,” “everyone,” “someone,” and “nobody” are

singular and require singular verbs.
Example: Each of the participants was interviewed.
6. Noncountable Nouns
 Noncountable nouns, also known as uncountable or mass nouns,
refer to things that cannot be counted individually. They often
represent abstract concepts, substances, or collective categories.
Here are some examples:

1. Abstract Concepts: Love, happiness, information, advice.

2. Substances: Water, air, sugar, rice.
3. Collective Categories: Furniture, equipment, luggage, traffic.
Noncountable nouns typically do not have a plural form and are
used with singular verbs. For example, we say “The information is
useful” rather than “The informations are useful.”

The Subject-Verb Agreement with Uncountable Nouns as

Subjects

 Uncountable nouns take singular verbs.

Example: Information is essential for decision-making.
7. Countable Nouns with Only Plural Forms

Countable nouns, also known as count nouns, refer to items that

can be counted individually. They have both singular and plural
forms and can be used with numbers and articles like “a” or “an.”
Here are some examples:

 Singular: a book, an apple, a car.

 Plural: books, apples, cars.
The Subject-Verb Agreement With Countable Nouns with
Only Plural Forms

 Nouns like “earnings,” “proceeds,” and “goods” have plural forms

and require plural verbs.
Example: The proceeds from the event support charity.
8. Subjects with “There is” or “There are”
 In sentences that start with “there is” or “there are,” the subject
follows the verb, and the verb agrees with the actual subject.

“There is”

 Singular Subject: There is a book on the table.

 Uncountable Noun: There is milk in the fridge.
 Abstract Noun: There is hope for the future.
“There are”

 Plural Subject: There are many books on the shelf.

 Countable Nouns: There are apples in the basket.
 Multiple Items: There are several options to consider.
In these sentences, “there is” is used with singular subjects and
uncountable nouns, while “there are” is used with plural subjects
and countable nouns. This structure helps to emphasize the
existence or presence of something.

9. Collective Nouns

Collective nouns refer to words that describe a group of

individuals or things as a single entity. Here are some examples:

1. Animals: A flock of birds, a herd of cattle, a pack of wolves.

2. People: A team of players, a crew of sailors, a class of students.
3. Objects: A bunch of keys, a bouquet of flowers, a fleet of ships.
These nouns help us talk about groups in a concise way, making
our language more efficient and expressive.

The Subject-Verb Agreement With Collective Nouns

 Collective nouns, such as “team” or “family,” are typically singular
when they act as a unit.
Example: The team meets weekly.
 If referring to individual members, use a plural verb.
 Example: The team debate their strategies.
Additional Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

1. Negative and Interrogative Sentences (a question)

 For negative and interrogative sentences, ensure verbs match the

subject.
Example: Doesn’t she know you already?
3. Periods of Time, Distance, and Sum of Money

 Subjects referring to time, money, or distance often take singular

verbs.
Example: One hundred dollars is a lot for a ticket.
4. Sentences with “Each” or “Every”

 When a sentence starts with “each” or “every,” it takes a singular

verb.
Example: Every student has completed the test.
5. Wishes or Requests

 For wishes or hypothetical situations, “were” is used for singular

and plural subjects.
Example: I wish I were a bird.

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.
Two singular subjects: Alicia and Miguel ride their bikes to the beach.
Two plural subjects: The girls and the boys ride their bikes to the beach.
Singular and plural subjects: Alicia and the boys ride their bikes to the beach.

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: Neither Elizabeth nor Rianna wants to eat at that restaurant.
Two plural subjects: Neither the kids nor the adults want to eat at that restaurant.
Singular and plural subjects: Neither Elizabeth nor the kids want to eat at that restaurant.
Plural and singular subjects: Neither the kids nor Elizabeth wants to eat at that restaurant.

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.

Tip

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.

Indefinite Pronouns That Always Take a Indefinite Pronouns That Can Take a Singular or
Singular Verb Plural Verb

anybody, anyone, anything All

each Any

everybody, everyone, everything None

much Some

many

nobody, no one, nothing

somebody, someone, something

Singular: Everybody in the kitchen sings along when that song comes on the radio.
The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group
performing the same action as a single unit.
Plural: All the people in the kitchen sing along when that song comes on the radio.

The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people.
Because people is plural, all is plural.
Singular: All the cake is on the floor.

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.
"Many a man has shot himself on finding himself in such a position" means the
same thing as "many men have shot themselves on finding themselves in such a
position".

Both ways mean that many men have done this. The choice of using singular is
just style, and how the author wants us to imagine it in our minds (perhaps they
want us to see a single, unfortunate, lonely man instead of a whole group of
men).

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.
Singular: The class is going on a field trip.

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.

Questions
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?

Some nouns that appear to be plural in form when preceded by a pair of take a singular
verb, for example, shoes, scissors, trousers, etc.
  A pair of scissors was taken out of the drawer.
 A pair of trousers was washed by the servant
 A pair of shoes was bought by him.
Note 16: Uses of ‘without a pair of + nouns‘ Class 10 Subject Verb
Agreement
But when these nouns are used without ‘a pair of’, they take a plural verb:

 His shoes have worn out.

 My scissors do not cut well.
Note 17: uses of ‘a lot of’,’a plenty of’ for Subject Verb Agreement
Some nouns are preceded by a lot of, a plenty of, a great deal of, etc. These nouns take
a singular verb when they refer to amount or quantity. But they take a plural verb when
they refer to number:

 A lot of people visit the exhibition.

 A plenty of water was supplied to the villagers.
Note 18: Uses of ‘as well as’, ‘in addition to’
When a singular subject is joined by as well as, in addition to, except, etc. with
another noun or pronoun, the verb agrees with the first subject.

 Sohan as well as his brother has come.

 My neighbors in addition to my father have gone out for a walk.
Note 18: uses of ‘each’, ‘either’, ‘neither’, ‘anyone’, everyone
A singular verb is used with singular pronouns, e.g. each, either, neither, anyone, etc.

 Each of the boys was given a prize.

 Neither of the students was absent.
 Everybody has helped her.
 Everyone except Satish was present.
Note 19: Uses of ‘either…or’, ‘neither…nor’
When two or more subjects are connected by either…or, neither…nor, nor, or, the
verb is used according to the number of the noun nearest to it:

 Neither she nor her sisters visit the temple.

 Either they or he is telling a lie.
Note 20: Uses of collective nouns
A collective noun such as jury, committee, family, etc. takes a singular verb when it is
considered one unit. But when they are regarded as individuals, they take a plural verb:
  The jury is about to give its decision. [one unit]
 The jury are divided in their opinion. [individuals]
 The committee is meeting tomorrow.[one unit]
 The committee have decided to raise the membership fee.[individuals]
 Our family has decided to visit Shimla this summer.[one unit]
 The family now live in London.[individuals]
Note 21: Uses of ‘nouns as one unit’
When some nouns are regarded as one unit, they take a singular verb:

 Bread and butter is a wholesome food.

 Brick and stone is lying scattered all over the place.
 Time and tide waits for none.
 The novelist and poet is dead.

DIRECTION for the questions 1 to 20: In each of the following sentences supply a verb in
agreement with its subject:

1. To take pay and then not to do work ________ dishonest.

2. The cost of all these articles ________ risen.
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3. The jury _______ divided in their opinions
4. That night every one of the boat's crew ______ down with fever.
5. One or the other of those fellows _______ stolen the watch.
6. The strain of all the difficulties and vexations and anxieties ______ more
than he could bear.
7. No news _________ good news.
8. The accountant and the cashier ______ absconded.
9. A good man and useful citizen ______ passed away.
10.The famous juggler and conjurer ________ too unwell to perform.
11.The Three Musketeers ________ written by Dumas.
12.Each of the suspected men ______ arrested.
13.The ebb and flow of the tides ______ explained by Newton.
Sentence Correction: Concepts & Rules
  Basics of Sentence Correction
 Subject Verb Agreement - 1
 Parallelism Error
 Subject-Pronoun Agreement
 Sentence Correction Exercise
 Modifier Errors
 Subject Verb Agreement - 2
 Redundancy Error
 Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise
14.Ninety rupees ______ too much for this bag.
15.The cow as well as the horse _________on grass.
16.Neither his father nor his mother __________ alive.
17.There _______ many objections to the plan.
18.Two-thirds of the city ____________ in ruins
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19.The formation of paragraphs __________ very important.
20. Man's happiness or misery __________ in a great measure in his own
hands.

Tip

If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.
When am I going to the grocery store? I am going to the grocery store tonight!

Exercise 3

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.
1. My dog and cats chases each other all the time.

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

________________________________________________________________
 3. Everyone are going to the concert except me.

________________________________________________________________
4. My family are moving to California.

________________________________________________________________
5. Here is the lake I told you about.

________________________________________________________________
6. There is the newspapers I was supposed to deliver.

________________________________________________________________
7. Which room is bigger?

________________________________________________________________
8. When are the movie going to start?

________________________________________________________________
9. My sister and brother cleans up after themselves.

________________________________________________________________
10. Some of the clothes is packed away in the attic.

________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4

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

Writing at Work
 Figure 2.5 Advertisement

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.

Key Take aways

 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.