RULES OF SUBJECT: VERB AGREEMENT

RULE NO. 1 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
If the subject of the sentence is: somebody, nobody, everybody,
someone, no one, everyone, something, everything, nothing, this,
that, singular noun, uncountable noun, each, every, one, neither,
either etc., we use a singular verb.
Examples:
▪︎One of my relatives (is/am/are/were) happy now.
▪︎Each of them (write/writes/are writing) their homework.
▪︎Water (boil/boils/are boiling) at 100°.
▪︎A book (have/has/are) been stolen.
*Neither………. nor, either ……or, or, not only ….but also [ verb
agrees with the subject nearer to it]
Neither he nor they know the answer.

RULE NO. 2 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
If the subject of the sentence is: both, several, many, some , a lot
of, these, few , those, plural noun (people, police, folk , children,
mice, cattle, deer, men, women, books etc.), we use a plural verb.
Examples:
▪︎Both of us (was/were/is/are) happy last week.
▪︎Children (have/has/is) gone to school.
▪︎The cattle (is/am/are) grazing.

RULE NO. 3 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
Two or more singular subjects joined by 'and' normally
take a verb in the plural.
Examples:
▪︎You and I (is/am/are) students.
▪︎Rita and Sita (go/goes) to school.
(Note): When the two nouns refer to the same person or expression
or one idea, the verb must be in the singular.
Examples:
▪︎The teacher and musician (have/has) arrived.
The teacher and the musician have arrived
▪︎The headmaster and accountant (is/am/are) talking.
▪︎Slow and steady (win/wins) the race.
▪︎Bread and butter (is/am/are) good for our health.
▪︎Rice and curry (is /are) his favourite food.
(Note): If different persons/things are referred to, 'the' article is
used before each noun, and the verb then becomes plural.
▪︎The writer and the editor (have/has) arrived.
▪︎The headmaster and the accountant (is/are) talking.
(The writer and the editor indicate two different persons)

RULE NO. 4 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
Singular subjects preceded by each or every take the verb
in the singular.
Examples:
▪︎Each girl and boy was present.
▪︎Every man, woman and child gets the money.

RULE NO. 5 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
If two or more subjects are joined with or, nor,
neither.......nor, either.......or, not only...... but also,
whether.......or etc, the verb should be used
according to the last subject.
Examples:
▪︎Ram or his friends (have/has) come.
▪︎Neither she nor they (was/were) present at the meeting
▪︎Either the boy or his sister (was/were) invited.
▪︎Neither he nor I (know/knows) anything about it.

RULE NO. 6 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
If the subject of the sentence gives the meaning of distance,
weight, measurement, price, quantity, rupees etc; we use the verb
in the singular.
Examples:
▪︎Ten kilometres (have/has) been crossed.
▪︎Twenty rupees (is/am/are) enough to buy a pen.
▪︎Five tons of petrol (cost/costs) a lot.
Four and four is eight .

RULE NO. 7👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
Along with, like , unlike , in addition to, as well as, except,
besides, rather than, not, and words joined to a
singular/plural subject by with, together with, not with,
not, including, excluding etc. being parenthetical do not
affect the number of the verb. We generally use the verb
according to the first subject.
Examples:
▪︎I, as well as you, (is/am/are) happy.
▪︎He, besides his friends, (was/were) coming.
▪︎They, along with Rita, (go/goes) to school.

RULE NO. 8👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
If the subject is used in the form of 'Noun +of+ noun', we use the
verb according to the first noun. The + adjective (poor, rich,
young, old, blind etc.) takes the plural verb.
Examples:
▪︎The People of this village (is/am/are) hardworking
▪︎The condition of those people (was/were) very bad.
▪︎The young (is/are) energetic.

RULE NO. 9 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
Some nouns look like a plural but they give the meaning of
singular. We use a singular verb with those subjects.
Examples:
▪︎The news (come/comes) on the radio.
▪︎Politics (is/are) hated by people
▪︎The wages of sin is death.
(Economics, physics, customs, gymnastics, ethics etc.)

RULE NO. 10 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
After 'There' we use singular or plural according to the situation.
Examples:
▪︎There (is/am/are) a book on the table.
▪︎There (is/am/are) some books on the table.

RULE NO. 12👇

Subject: Verb Agreement
After modal auxiliary verb & does not, do not, did not, we
use v1
Examples:
▪︎He can (speaks/spoke/speak) English.
▪︎He did not (go/went/goes) to Pokhara.

RULE NO. 13 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
If the subject is 'A number of + plural noun', we use a
plural verb. If the subject is The number of + plural
noun', we use a singular verb.
Examples:
▪︎A number of patients visit the doctor daily.
▪︎The number of patients is ten.

RULE NO. 14 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
We use a plural verb after these words jeans, trousers, scissors,
shoes, glasses, socks, binoculars, spectacles, pyjamas etc.
Examples:
▪︎Scissors cut cloth and papers.
▪︎Binoculars are useful for us.
But when we use 'a pair of' in front of these words, we use a singular verb.
Examples:
▪︎A pair of trousers has been given to me.
▪︎A pair of socks was sold.

RULE NO. 15👇

Subject: Verb Agreement
If the subject is 'More than one + noun, we use a singular verb.
Examples:
▪︎More than one mango was stolen.
▪︎More than one student has been expelled.
RULE NO. 16👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
The + adjective (rich, blind, sick, poor, death, intelligent, young,
old, dead, brave, coward, handicapped, unemployed etc.) takes a
plural verb.
Examples:
▪︎The rich are selfish.
▪︎The old were walking, slowly.
▪︎The intelligent have been rewarded.

RULE NO. 17 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
We use a singular verb after 'many a /an +.....
Examples:
▪︎Many a man goes.
▪︎Many an elephant lives on grass.

RULE NO. 18 👇
Subject: Verb Agreement
The nationality words end in sh, ch or ese preceded by the
definite article "The', we use a plural verb.
Examples:
▪︎The Chinese have a long history.
▪︎The French are tall and strong.
(The British, The English, The French The Irish, The Dutch, The
Chinese etc.)

RULE NO. 19👇

Subject: Verb Agreement
If the subject of the sentence begins with 'None of', we generally
use the plural verb.
Example:
▪︎None of my friends were serious.

RULE NO. 20👇

Subject: Verb Agreement
We use a singular verb after the phrases beginning with A
group of, A chain of, A crowd of, A flock of, A batch of, A
series of, A band of, A bouquet of, A galaxy of, A team of,
A herd of, A set of, A regiment of, A class of etc.
Examples:
▪︎A group of people has arrived.
▪︎A series of accidents has taken place.

RULE NO. 21👇

Subject: Verb Agreement
Some words like cattle, mice, children, police, sheep, deer,
public, gentry, clergy, swine, vermin, poultry, people etc.
look like singular but they are plural. We use a plural
verb.
Examples:
▪︎People are hardworking.
▪︎The sheep are grazing.
But
▪︎A sheep is grazing.

RULE NO. 22👇

Subject: Verb Agreement
We can use both singular and plural verbs depending on the
context, for the following collective nouns like- staff, team, jury,
audience, family, class, committee, government etc.
Examples:
▪︎Our family is going to the Godavari for a picnic. (collectively)
▪︎The committee are divided on one minor point. (separately)
▪︎The class looks nice. (collectively)
▪︎The jury has elected its president. (collectively)
▪︎The family were divided in their arguments. (separately/ individually)
The behaviour of the students is analysed .