Subject Verb Agreement

Introduction

In English grammar, the Subject and Verb must agree in number and person. Both must be either singular or plural. A singular subject must take a singular verb, a plural subject must take a plural verb.

The following guidelines help you to ensure that the subject and verb in your sentence are in agreement.

1. Use a plural verb when the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns which are connected with and

Example:

Meena and her friends are at the cinema.

2. Use a singular verb when two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected with or or nor.

Example:

 The necklace or the ring is in the drawer.

3. In the present tense, add -s or -es at the end of the verb when the subject per forming the action is a singular third person, i.e. he, she, it, or words which can be substituted by these pronouns.

Examples:

Chithra sings well. 

He goes to office by bus.

4. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pro noun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closer to it.

Examples:-

The father or his sons run every day.

 The sons or their father runs every day.

5. Doesn't is a shortened form of does not and should be used only with a singular subject.

Examples:

He/She doesn't want it. 

They don't want it.

6. The exceptions to this rule appear in the case of the first person and second person pronouns, I and You. With these pronouns, the shortened form of don't should be used.

should be used

Examples:-

I don't want it.

You don't want it.

7) The verb agrees with the subject, not with another noun or pronoun in phrase Any phrase that comes between the subject and the verb should not be considered

Examples:-

Three of the rooms are occupied

Man who can do this kind of work are many.

 The pilot, as well as his crew, is ready for takeoff. 

The movie, including the narration in the fiend hell, is interesting

The child, along with with his friends plays in the street .

8.The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody,

anyone, nobody, somebody, someone and no one are singular and require a singular verb

Examples:-

Each of these apples is juicy.

 Everybody likes the Prime Minister.

 Either Raju or Ramu is wrong .

No one is perfect

9. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles and news require singular verbs.

Example:

Mathematics is an easy subject

Note: The word Rupees is a special case When referring to an amount of money, wo singular verb, but when referring to the Rupees themselves, use a plural verb.

Examples

Two thousand rupees is a lot of money.

 Rupees are used in Pakistan Nepal and Sri Lanka also .

10. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, and trousers require plural verbs as those objects comprise two parts.

Examples:

These scissors are sharp. 

Those trousers are made of wool.

11. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb.

Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.

 Examples:

There are many stories about this fort.

 There is a story about this fort,

12. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person, but are considered singular and take a singular verb such as group, team, committee, clause and family

Note: In a few cases, the plural verb is used if members of a group are referred to.

 Examples:-

The band plays every evening.

The managing committee decides how to proceed.

13. The following expressions do not change the number of the subject.

With

Together with

Including

Accompanied by

In addition to

Similarly, if the subject is singular, then the verb is also singular.

Examples:

The Prime Minister, accompanied by his staff, is inspecting tsunami-hit areas.  All the students, including the kindergarten ones, are in the school hall for assembly.

Points to Remember

• The Subject should always agree with the Verb in number and person.
•  A singular subject must always take a singular verb.
•  A plural subject must always take a plural verb.

Exercise :-

Choose the right option and rewrite the following sentences:

 1. Many people is/ are waiting outside the stadium for tickets.

 2. The grocery store was/ were closed yesterday on account of Diwali.

3. The curtain has/ have become so dirty that they needs/ need to be changed

4. The wedding are/ is downstairs in the Ballroom.

 5. Mr. and Mrs. Sen has/have moved to a new city

6. Two cars and a bus was/ were involved in the accident.

7. The new cricket kit, which he bought yesterday, has/have gone missing.

8. My neighbour plays plays his music so loud that the walls vibrate/ vibrates

9. Praveen dol does not care whether India or Australia is/ are winning.

10. He makes/ make tea on the new cooking range, and even bakes/ bake cakes

for his family using it.

 11. The boys break/ breaks a windowpane very often. Physics is/ are my strongest subject.

12. The dishes in the kitchen area is dirty 13.Everyone is/ are going on a picnic.

14.Each of the boys is/ are taking his own lunch.

15.The best thing about birthdays is/ are the presents.

 16. He get/ gets up at 5 am everyday.

17.One thousand rupees is/ are too much to spend on a sweater .

18. Each child get/ gets a balloon.

19.No one was/ were willing to try.

 20. This is my room, the other is/are my brother's .

21. Something is/ are worrying the Principal

22.One of them is/ are lying.

 23. The clothes dryl dries best when put in the sun.

24. The news is/ are not good.