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
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.