Subject/Verb Agreement

 

General Rule:  If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

 

Rule 1:  Don’t let words that come between the Subject and the Verb affect agreement:

Ali, who is one of the students, is always on time.

The responses given by that student were correct.

 

Try it:

Trips to the top of Mount Everest (is, are) common.

Adventurers like Sir Edmund (is, are) willing to take the risk.

 

Rule 2:  Do not let word order affect the agreement of S and V:

At the end of a long, dark path, there were some trees.

Are Gustavo and Lily studying?

 

Try it: 

There (is, are) many things left to do before we leave.

(Is, Are) the women going to be ready on time?

 


Rule 3: 

a.  A singular indefinite pronoun* receives a singular verb.  A plural indefinite pronoun+ gets a plural verb: 

*Everyone, everybody, each, every, one, either, neither

+Many, several, both, few

Each student is working hard.

Neither student was ready for the exam.

Few students have not studied for the exam.

 

Try it: 

Everyone (know, knows) that smoking causes health problems.

Either birds or sunlight (has, have) awakened the camper.

Many (has, have) made it to the top of Half Dome.

 

b.  Certain indefinite pronouns do not clearly express whether they are singular or plural.  Agreement depends on the meaning of the sentence:  All, none, any, some

 

None of the pizza was burnt.

None of the pizzas were burnt.

 

Try it:

All of the pasture (was, were) mowed.

 


Rule 4:  Two or more subjects joined by and take a plural verb.

Roger and Nathalie are at Starbucks.

 

*When each or every modifies singular subjects joined by “and,” the verb is singular.

Each man and woman is entitled to one free massage.

 

Try it:  Each girl and boy on this floor (is, are) sick.

 

Rule 5:  Alternative subjects—those joined by or, nor, either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also—are handled as follows:

        a.  If the subjects are singular, the verb is singular:

Susan or Joe is going to tutor me.

        b.  If the subjects are plural, the verb is plural:

Neither the students nor the faculty support the fee hike.

        c.  If one subject is singular and the other is plural, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. 

Neither the students nor the teacher is ever late to class.

Neither the teacher nor the students are ever late to class.

 

Try it: 

 

(Is, Are) personal satisfaction or prestige more important?

Neither the jungles, nor the deserts, nor the ocean (have, has) gone unexplored.

 


Rule 6:  Collective nouns—class, team, group, family—take a singular verb if the noun is acting as a unit, but they take a plural verb if the members of the group are acting individually:

 

The team is victorious.

The team are showering in the locker room.

 

Try it: 

The hiring committee (has, have) reached a decision.

 

Rule 7:  Titles/names ending in S take a singular verb:

Macy’s is having a sale.

The Bends is an album by Radiohead.

 

Try it:

Desperate Housewives (is, are) changing nights.

 

Rule 8:  Sums of money, distances, and measurements take a singular verb if a unit is meant.  They take a plural verb if individual elements are considered separately:

Five miles is a long way to run.

There are five miles between the post office and the gift store.

 

Try it:

It (was, were) nine dollars to get into the movie.

Twenty dollars (is, are) too much for the coat.

 


Rule 9:  Nouns ending in S take a singular verb.

Civics is a boring major.

 

Try it: 

The news (is, are) often depressing.

 

*Some nouns only have a plural form.  They take a plural verb:

These Pants are too baggy.

 

Try it:

The scissors (is, are) too dull to cut the fabric.

 

Rule 10:  When a relative pronoun (that, which, who) refers to a singular noun, make the verb singular.  When it refers to a plural noun, make the verb plural.

The athletes who are desperate take steroids.

The athlete, who was desperate, took steroids.

Look for cars that have this sticker.