Subject – Verb Agreement

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Subject – Verb Agreement 
 
1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. It means that the verb agrees 
with HEAD of the subject. 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. Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and 
verb; they do not affect agreement. 
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good. 
The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on four 
counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several 
political lives, is finally going to jail. 
David, who likes basketball very much, is one of the school team members. 
 
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, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly. 
There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you 
requested. 
 
NOTE: Depending on the number, we can use either a singular or a plural verb 
with those nouns for which both singular and plural forms of words are the 
same. For examples, 'means', 'barracks', 'crossroads', 'series', 'sheep', 'deer' 
etc. 
There are different means to solve the problem. 
This is not an efficient means to solve the problem. 
 
SPECIAL CASES: 
 
5. A plural verb is used when an adjective preceded by 'the' acts as a 
subject to represent a class of people. - plural 
The rich are willing to help the poor. 
 
6. AND - plural 
The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon. 
 
Note: AND - refer to the same person or thing - singular 
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish. 
Bread and cheese is my favourite for breakfast. 
AND -If the words each, every, or no come before the subject- singular 
No smoking and drinking is allowed. Every man and woman is required to 
check in. 
 
7. A singular verb is used when the subject is an infinitive, a gerund 
phrase or a noun clause. 
To reduce the price is the best way to increase takings. 
 
 
Standing in the water was a bad idea. Swimming in the ocean and playing 
drums are my hobbies. 
 
If the subject is compound - plural 
To walk and to chew gum require great skill. 
 
8. Both heads are singular and connected by or, nor, neither/nor, /or, and 
not only/but also - singular. 
Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident. 
Is either my father or my brothers responsible? 
 
Both heads are plural – plural 
Dogs and cats are both available at the pound. 
 
If one of them is plural and the other one is singular it agrees with the 
nearest: 
Are either my brothers or my father responsible? 
Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house. 
Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house. 
Do your sisters or your girlfriend want any pizza? 
 
When two subjects are connected by 'or', 'either...or', 'neither...nor' and 'not 
only...but also', the verb should be in agreement with the second subject. 
Neither you nor I am the winner. 
 
9. when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc. 
are followed by a prepositional phrase – agrees with the object: 
All of the chicken is gone. All of the chickens are gone. 
 
10. Expressions - with, together with, including, accompanied by, in 
addition to, or as well as – the verb should agree with the first subject. 
The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India. 
All of the books, including yours, are in that box. 
I, as well as my parents, am going to emigrate to Singapore. 
 
11. Anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody - singular 
Everyone has done his or her homework. 
Somebody has left her purse. 
 
All, some - singular or plural depending on what they're referring to. (Is the 
thing referred to countable or not?) 
Some of the beads are missing. 
Some of the water is gone. 
 
None – it can be either singular or plural; it often doesn't matter whether you 
use a singular or a plural verb 
None of you claims responsibility for this incident? 
None of you claim responsibility for this incident? 
 
Unless something else in the sentence determines its number. 
 
 
None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the 
word their precludes the use of the plural verb. 
 
Everyone and everybody - singular 
Everybody is here." 
Everyone has finished his or her homework. 
 
Each - singular 
Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library. 
Each is responsible. 
 
12 . After the words 'a lot of', 'most of the', 'some of', 'the majority of', 'all of', 
'none of', etc, either singular or plural, depending on whether a countable or 
an uncountable noun is used. 
Most of the students are talking about their new teacher. 
A lot of trouble was caused by your little sister. 
 
Note: A plural verb is used when 'a number of' and 'a group of' are followed by 
plural nouns or pronouns. 
 A number of F.5 students are worried about their future. 
 
13. Units of measurement - singular 
Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running. 
 
Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority 
of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning. 
A large percentage of the older population is voting against her. 
A large percentage of the voters are voting against her 
Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle. 
Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire. 
Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy. 
Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy. 
 
Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular and 
require singular verbs. 
Two and two is four. 
Four times four divided by two is eight. 
 
The expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb: 
"More than one student has tried this." 
 
14. Collective nouns like herd, senate, class, crowd, etc. - singular 
The herd is stampeding. 
The team runs during practice. 
The committee decides how to proceed. 
 
15. DOLLARS - When talking about an amount of money, it requires a 
singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb 
is required. 
Five dollars is a lot of money. 
 
 
Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia. 
 
16. Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, clothes, goods, savings, pyjamas, 
spectacles, and scissors - plural 
My glasses were on the bed. 
My pants were torn. 
 
Unless they're preceded the phrase pair of (in which case the word pair 
becomes the subject – possible for some of them). 
A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet. 
 
17. Uncountable nouns such as 'news', 'advice', 'information', 'knowledge', 
'rubbish', 'furniture', etc, must be followed by singular verbs. 
The furniture is made in Sweden. 
 
Note: To make these uncountable nouns countable, we can use some phrases 
like 'a piece of', 'pieces of', 'a heap of', 'heaps of', etc 
Peter gives me these pieces of information which are very useful for the 
project. 
 
18. 'Economics', 'mathematics', 'physics', 'gymnastics', 'politics', ‘measles’ 
crisis', 'apparatus 'etc. - singular 
Mathematics is what I am weak in. 
Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women. 
 
However, a plural verb is used when these words are preceded by 
possessive adjectives or articles. 
Her politics are very radical. 
 
19. The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural 
verb: 
 
The Miami Heat have been looking … , 
The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … . 
 
20. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. - singular 
The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks. 
 
21. If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one 
is plural, the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive 
subject. 
 
The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on 
Valentine'sDay. 
It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue. 
It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot. 
 
22. There are a number of words like government, e.g. family, company, 
team, staff, committee, audience, jury, department, committee, which 
can be followed by a singular verb or a plural verb. It depends on how you 
 
 
perceive the noun, whether as a unit, or as a group of individuals. 
Formality also comes into it. Generally it would be more formal to use a 
singular verb agreement (as the Queen does). 
 
The average family eats three portions of fruit a day. (the group ‘family’) 
My family are great lovers of fruit and vegetables. (one sees a family as 
individuals) 
The family is going to have a picnic this Sunday. (The group 'family' in this 
case is considered as a single unit.) 
The staff work in a co-operative manner. ('Staff' in this case involves every 
member of the group.) 
 
NOTE: Are" is correct when referring to police in general because 'are' is 
plural; use is when referring to a single person or a specific department. 
The police are blocking off the street where the accident occurred. 
A police officer is getting information from the neighbors. 
The police department is at the corner of First and Main streets.