Download Subject Verb Agreement

Subject – Verb Agreement
Part 1
The basic principle of making subjects and verbs agree is singular subjects need singular
verbs and plural subjects need plural verbs.
If a subject refers to one person, place, or thing, it is singular.
EXAMPLES:
girl
it
If a subject refers to more than one, it is plural.
EXAMPLES:
girls
they
1. Singular Subjects
Singular subjects take singular verbs. Here is an example:
•
The plane flies to New York. Plane is a singular subject, so the verb flies is the
correct singular verb.
2. Plural Subjects
Plural subjects take plural verbs. Here is an example:
•
Children play in the park every day. The noun Children is a plural subject, so
play is the correct plural verb.
Part 2 Tricky Agreements
1. Phrases between Subjects and Verbs
If there is an explanatory, or prepositional, phrase following the subject, the number of
the subject does not change.
EXAMPLES: The boys on the field play soccer. Boys is plural.
The distance between the two signs is 12 feet. Distance is singular.
2. Indefinite Pronouns (singular)
The following indefinite pronouns are singular:
anybody
anyone
each
either
everybody
everyone
neither
nobody
no one
one
somebody
someone
Some of the pronouns above are often followed by prepositional phrases. Keep in mind
that the verb still agrees with the subject and not with any of the words in those phrases.
EXAMPLE:
One of the girls is not coming home tonight.
3. Indefinite Pronouns (Plural)
The following indefinite pronouns are plural:
both
few
many
several
EXAMPLE: Both of the bananas are ripe.
4. Indefinite Pronouns - Singular or Plural
The indefinite pronouns below may be either singular or plural:
all
any
most
none
some
The number of these pronouns is decided by the number of a word in the explanatory, or
prepositional, phrase that follows. It is the word that the pronoun refers to. If the pronoun
refers to a singular word, it takes a singular verb. If the pronoun refers to a plural word, it
takes a plural verb.
EXAMPLES: All of the pie has been eaten. {All refers to one pie, so we use the singular
verb, has.}
All of the apples were sliced for the filling. {All refers to apples, so we the
plural verb, were.}
Part 3 Compound Subjects
1. Subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.
If the compound subjects joined by and are talking about more than one person or thing,
they take plural verbs.
EXAMPLE:
The restaurant and the theater are located in the heart of the city.
If the compound subject joined by and is talking about one person or thing, it takes a
singular verb.
EXAMPLE:
The pitcher and captain of the team is Bobby. Bobby is one person who is both
the pitcher and the captain.
2. When subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject closer to the
verb.
EXAMPLES:
Neither the teacher nor the students were in the classroom. The verb agrees
with the nearer subject, students.
Neither the students nor the teacher was in the classroom. The verb agrees with
the nearer subject, teacher.