SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Subject is the doer of the action or the word which is talking about in the sentence.
Verb is an action or a state of being word in the sentence.
e.g. The teacher leaves the room early.
S V
Science is a systematized body of knowledge.
S V
RULES:

1. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural
verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

e.g. Kenneth washes his hands always.

Meteorologists study weather patterns.

2. Intervening words like as well as, together with, with, including, plus, in
addition to, accompanied by, do not affect the number of the subject.

e.g. The choreographer, together with the dancers, performs gracefully.

Louie, as well as his friends, attends the class on time.

3. Compound subjects joined by or, nor, neither...or, neither...nor require a

verb that agrees with the nearest subject.

e.g. Either Franz or his classmates want to have a good job in the future.
Neither the students nor the teacher agrees with the new school policy.

4. Compound subjects joined by and or both...and require a plural verb. But if

the compound subject is considered as one unit or is modified by each or
every, it will take a singular verb.

e.g. The suspect and his lawyer answer the questions.

Both Rap and Jigs work at the hospital.
Bread and butter is my favourite breakfast.
Each man and woman appears to be studious.

5. If the subject consists of two nouns, and each of these is preceded by article
the, the verb must be plural. But if the second noun is not preceded by the,
the verb must be singular.

e.g. The owner and the manager of the restaurant are foreigners.
The owner and manager of the restaurant is a foreigner.

6. A collective noun requires a singular verb when the group is regarded as one
unit, but when the individuals in the group act separately, a plural verb is
required.

e.g. The orchestra poses for its photograph.

The orchestra tune their instruments.

7. The verb agrees with its subject, not with a predicate noun.
e.g. Her main problem is her friends.
Her friends are her main problem.

8. The verb agrees with the subject not with the object of the preposition.

e.g. The puppies in the basket have brown fur.

The bouquet of flowers is for Karylle.
Onto his knees sinks the young man.
Up to the sky fly the birds.
9. The verb agrees with the positive subject, not with the negative one.

e.g. The teacher, not the students, explains the lesson.

The students, not the teacher, facilitate the discussion.

10. The verb agrees with the antecedent of the relative pronoun.

e.g. Sydney is one of the students who speak Spanish.

Lover is the only one of my friends who plays tennis.

11. The expression of the number of takes the singular verb, and a number of
takes plural verb.

e.g. The number of students participating in the rally is big.

A number of talented students are needed for the play.

12. Many takes plural verb, and many a takes singular verb.

e.g. Many agree to the proposal of the resource speaker.

Many a participant agrees to the suggestion of the guest speaker.

13. A singular verb is used when the subject denotes quantity, fraction,
percentage, currency, and length of time, but if they are followed by the
phrase of the, the object of the phrase determines the number of the verb.

e.g. Ten pesos is the admission price.

Four meters is the length of the board.
Three years seems a long time.
Eight percent wants to retake the final examination.
Eighty percent of the examinees want to finish the test on time.
One-half of the cake was eaten by the visitors.
One-half of the students were given a chance by the teacher.

14. A singular verb is used when the subject is a title of a book, play, story or
musical composition.

e.g. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a good Disney movie.
The Last of the Mohicans was written by James F. Cooper.
Seeds is a novel by Sherwood Anderson.

15. A singular verb is used for nouns plural in form but singular in meaning like
Physics, Economics, Mathematics, News, Politics, Mechanics, Ethics,
Mumps and Measles.

e.g. Physics is my favourite subject.

 Economics is a very interesting subject.
The news is encouraging.

16. A plural verb is used for nouns in pairs, like scissors, pants, tweezers,
slippers, shoes, tongs, pliers and pincers, but if the expression a pair of is
used, the verb is singular.

e.g. The scissors are sharp.

A pair of scissors is sharp.

17. A singular verb is used for singular indefinite pronouns each, every, either,
neither, one, everyone, everybody, everything, anyone, anybody,
anything, someone, somebody, something, no one, nobody and nothing.

e.g. Everyone listens attentively.

Neither of the girls likes chocolate cake.
Each one has his own decision.

18. A plural verb is used for plural indefinite pronoun, both, few, many, and
several.

e.g. Few have time for the activities.

Both wish to help the victims.
Many of the boys suffer in hot weather.

19. A verb is singular or plural depending on the object of the phrase after the
indefinite pronouns, all, any, most, none and some.

e.g. Most of the workers have left the building.

Most of the forest lies to the east.
All of the members agree with him.
All of the ice sculpture has lost its shape.

20. A verb is singular or plural depending on the number of the subject after
expletive here and there, but after expletive it, singular verb is always used.

e.g. Here is the list of graduating students.

Here are the pictures of my parents.
There is a rally in the campus.
There are visitors at the library.
It is the President who must propose.
It is the Senators who must approve.