Download A Guide to Subject-Verb Agreement

A Guide to Subject-Verb Agreement*
*You can’t always trust the spell-check function on your processor. If you are uncertain, always check a reliable grammar book
like The Everyday Writer, from which this handout was adapted.
Third-person singular subjects
Make a verb in the present tense agree with a third-person singular subject by adding –s or -es to
the base form: My dog Beau makes me smile. Here, “my dog Beau” is the singular subject and
he “makes” me smile.
Subjects and verbs separated by other words
The verb will agree with subject and not with another noun that falls in between: My dog Beau
likes to play with the neighborhood kids. Here, “my dog Beau” is the singular subject, so the
verb “likes” agrees with the singular subject Beau (he) and not the plural, “neighborhood kids”
(they).
Compound subjects
Two or more subjects joined by and generally require a plural verb: My cat Rocky and I were
watching cartoons this morning. Here, “Rocky and I” are the subject and “we” were watching
cartoons. However, be careful!! Sometimes subjects joined by and can be treated as a single idea
or unit: Hide and seek is Beau’s favorite game. Here, “hide and seek” is considered a single
idea and “it” is Beau’s favorite. Here’s another one to watch out for: Beau’s previous owner
and abuser is a horrible person. Here, “previous owner and abuser” refers to one person;
therefore, “he” is a horrible person. Beau and Rocky are my adorable, loving pets. Here,
Beau and Rocky are the compound subject, so “they” are my pets rather than they is my pets.
See how the latter is wrong?
Collective-noun subjects
For collective nouns, it depends on whether they are being referred to as a single unit
(collectively), or as individuals (each within the group): When receiving a report of animal
abuse, the ASPCA board investigates. Here, the ASPCA is considered a single unit; therefore
“it” responds (singular form of verb) to claims of abuse. Here is another one: The ASPCA
board members still disagree on whether to press charges. Here, the board members are
considered as individuals within the group and “they” are unable to agree. In the second
example, each board member has his or her own vote or opinion, and thus, each member must be
treated as an individual entity.
Indefinite-pronoun subjects
Indefinite pronouns do not refer to specific persons or things. Most take singular verb forms.
The following are some common indefinite pronouns:
another
any
anybody
anyone
anything
each
either
everybody
everyone
everything
much
neither
nobody
no one
nothing
one
other
somebody
someone
something
Of the two toys, neither is Beau’s favorite. Here, think in terms of “neither that one nor that
one” is a favorite.
Each of my pets holds a special place in my heart. Here, think of each one individually (Beau
“he” holds a special place and Rocky “he” holds a special place) in my heart.
Antecedents of relative pronouns
When a relative pronoun is used as a subject, the verb agrees with the antecedent of the pronoun.
“Yikes! What the heck are you people talking about?” O.K., calm down; it’s not as bad as it
sounds. A “relative pronoun” is just one of four words: who, whom, which, or that, and it is
used to introduce the part of a sentence that goes on to describe the nouns or pronouns.
“Antecedent” is just a fancy term for the word or group of words that a pronoun replaces or to
which it refers. Here are some examples: Distrust of people is something that continues to
trouble Beau. Here, the relative pronoun is “that” and, as an antecedent, it refers to Beau’s
emotional problem – a “distrust of people.” Here’s another one: Beau’s previous owners are
the kind of people who should be hit in the head with a newspaper every morning to see
how they like it. Here, the relative pronoun is “who” and the antecedent it refers to is “Beau’s
previous owners.”
A common problem is when to use the word that as opposed to when to use the word which.
That indicates a piece of information that is necessary for the sentence to make sense. Which
indicates the information is not always necessary and usually is preceded by a comma.
Examples:
Cats that meow constantly are considered to be a nuisance at four a.m.
Beau’s collar, which is black leather with silver studs, makes him look like a very fierce
dog, though he is actually very sweet.
Linking verbs
Linking verbs are easy. They just link the subject of the sentence with the information about the
subject (the subject complement). They should agree with the subject, not the complement.
Rocky’s favorite snack is frogs. Here, the subject is “snack” (singular) not the plural, “frogs.”
Here’s another one: Beau and Rocky are my main responsibility. Here, Beau and Rocky
(they, plural) are the subject of the sentence, not responsibility (it, singular).
Subjects that are plural in form but similar in meaning
Watch out for words that end in –s but are singular in meaning. For example: Rabies is a
disease that still kills many dogs in the United States.
Subjects that follow verbs
Usually verbs follow subjects, but if the order is reversed, make sure the verb agrees with the
subject and not the noun it precedes. Behind the front door stand Beau and Rocky, listening
for my car to pull into the driveway. Here, Beau and Rocky (they stand) are the subject, not
“the front door” (it).
Titles and words used as titles
Treat titles of books, films, and CDs, as singular subjects: Because of Winn Dixie describes the
love between a little girl and her dog. (“It” describes, singular.)