Subject Verb Agreement

Note

 To make a noun plural, we add –s, -es or –ies to the end of the noun
• Singular= girl and Plural= girls
 To make a verb plural, we take away the –s.
• Singular: He talks (Ex: Joe walks, the girl walks)
• Plural: They talk (Ex: Joe and Maria walk)

Rule
s
1. If two subject are joined by and, they require a plural verb form.
→ Example: Sam and John are singing a song.

2. If one of the words- each, every or no comes before the subject, the verb is singular.
→ Example: Every man and woman is required to check in.

3. If the subject are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor,
either/or and not only/but also, the verb is singular
→ Example: Jessica or Christina is to blame for the accident

4. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor,
either/or and not only/but also, the verb is plural
→ Example: Not only dogs but also cats are available at the animal shelter.

5. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words connected by the words or,
nor, neither/nor, either/or and not only/but also, we use the verb form of the
subject that is closest to the verb.
→ Example: 1. Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
2. Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

6. Pronouns like few, many, several, both, all and some always take the plural form
→ Example: Many are called but few are chosen
7. The name of a country is always regarded as singular.
→ Example: The Bahamas has beautiful beaches.

8. When any of the indefinite pronouns (everybody, no one, another, anybody,

nobody, every, nothing, everything, anyone, either, neither, everyone, somebody
and someone) is the subject, the verb is singular.
→ Example: Everyone has done his or her notebook.

9. When the sentence starts with there or here, the subject will always be placed after
the verb.
→ Example: Here are the papers you requested.

10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are singular and
take the singular verb. (words like group, team, class and family are collective)
→ Example: The committee decides how to proceed.

11. If the conjugation ‘and’ is replaced by together with/along with/accompanied by/

as well as, the verb will have no effect for the later part of these expressions.
→ Example: Tom, along with his brothers, is going to the city.

12. When a plural noun denotes some specific amount of money, time, distance or
weight, considered as whole, we use a singular verb with such subjects.
→ Example: Four years is a long time to be without a job.

13. Names of things which have two parts (glasses, scissors, pants, jeans, pajamas etc.)
are plural, so they take a plural verb.
→ Example: His trousers were dirty

14. Subject names like mathematics, physics and statistics take a singular verb.
→ Example: Statistics is a difficult subject.

15. When the subject is made up of a noun that is plural in form but singular in meaning
(news, politics, mumps, measles, athletics), it takes a singular verb.
→ Example: The news is very surprising to hear.