Subject/Verb Agreement

Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #1

• Plural nouns • Singular

usually end verbs
in –s. usually end
in –s.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #2
• Singular subjects need singular
verbs.
• Examples:
– He washes the dishes.

– A girl in my neighborhood plays in the

band.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #3
• Plural subjects need plural verbs.
• Examples:
–They wash the dishes.

–Several girls in my neighborhood

play in the band.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #4
 Don’t determine the number of a subject by a
word in a phrase or clause following the subject.

 Examples:
The apartments across the street (does, do) have
balconies.
Eli, one of my friends, (was, were) late.
The planes pulling up to the gate (was, were)
purchased by a movie company.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #5

• Singular Indefinite
Pronouns Take Singular
Verbs…
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Each Either Neither One

Anybody Somebody Nobody Everybody

Anyone Someone No one Everyone

Anything Something Nothing Everything

 Subject/Verb Agreement
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
• How to remember these????

• Each, Either, Neither…

The ONES, The BODYS,
The THINGS, + ONE
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
• Examples
– Each of the athletes (run, runs) effortlessly.
– Neither of the women (is, are) ready to start.
– Someone (was, were) waving a large flag.
– (Does, do) everyone who signed up enjoy playing
tennis.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #5

•Plural Indefinite
Pronouns Take
Plural Verbs
Subject/Verb Agreement
Plural Indefinite Pronouns

Both Several

Few Many
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
• How to remember these????

• Both sisters found mom.

• BOTH SEVERAL FEW MANY
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
• Examples
–(Were, was) both of the games
postponed?
– Few that I know of (has, have) qualified.
– Several of the runners (is, are) exercising.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #5
• Singular OR Plural Indefinite Pronouns can
take either singular or plural verbs depending
on how they are used in each sentence
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Singular-Plural Pronouns

All Any More

Most None Some

 Subject/Verb Agreement
Singular-Plural Pronouns
• How to remember these????

• All Active Men Need More Sports.

• ALL ANY MOST

NONE MORE SOME
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Singular-Plural Pronouns
• Examples
– Some of the test (is, are) hard.
– Some of the questions (is, are) hard.
– Most of his routine (sound, sounds) familiar.
– Most of his jokes (sound, sounds) familiar.
– (Was, were) any of the feedback positive?
– (Was, were) any of the reviews positive?
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #6

• Two subjects joined by AND take

a plural subject
• Examples:
– George Lucas and Steven Spielberg (make, makes)
movies.
– Rhythm and imagery (helps, help) poets express
their feelings.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #6
• Exception…Compound subjects that
name only one person, thing, or
place take a singular verb.

• Examples:
– My pen pal and best friend (is, are) my cousin.
– Macaroni and cheese (is, are) my favorite dish.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #7
• Subjects joined by OR or NOR…the
verb should agree with the subject
closest to it.

– Neither the children nor the their mother (were,

was) ready for the trip.
– Neither the mother nor her children (were, was)
ready for the trip.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Compound Subjects Examples
• Either Anne or Tony (load, loads) the
dishwasher.
• Neither the coach nor the principal (is, are)
happy with the team’s performance.
• Either the boys or their sisters (take, takes)
the garbage out.
• Neither the dogs nor the cats (comes, come)
when we call them.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #8
• Collective nouns may be either
singular or plural, depending on their
meaning in the sentence
• Examples:
– The class (has, have) completed their projects.
– The class (has, have) elected its officers.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #9
• An expression of an amount may be
singular or plural depending on how
it’s used in a sentence.
• Three fourths of the pizza (is, are) gone.
• Of these songs, three fourths (is, are) new.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Amount Examples
• Two hours (was, were) a long time to wait.
• Thirty dollars (was, were) too much for a
concert ticket.
• Six dollars (was, were) found in the couch
cushions.
• Two hours—one before school and one after
—(is, are) all I have for practice.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #10
• Some nouns that are plural in form
that singular verbs
• “Memories” (is, are) my favorite poem.
• Rickets (are, is) a serious health concern in
some countries.
• The news of the nominee (was, were) a
surprise.
 Subject/Verb Agreement
Rule #11
• Subjects preceded by EVERY or
MANY A take singular verbs.

• Every homeowner and storekeeper (has,

have) joined the cleanup.
• Many a litterbug (was, were) surprised by the
stiff fines.
 Prepositional phrases between the subject
and verb usually do not affect agreement.

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

 When sentences start with “there” or “here,”
the subject will always be placed after the
verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it
correctly.
There is a problem with the balance sheet.

Here are the papers you requested.

 Subjects don't always come before verbs in
questions. Make sure you accurately identify
the subject before deciding on the proper verb
form to use.
Does Lefty usually eat grass?
Where are the pieces of this puzzle.
 When gerunds are used as the subject of a
sentence they take the singular verb form of
the verb, but when they are linked by and
they take the plural form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are
my hobbies.
 If two infinitives are separated by and they
take the plural form of the verb.

To walk and to chew gum require great skill.

 Item 1
In the cabinet is
is the
are the
the
tools
tools
tools
that
that
that
you
youyouwill
will
will
need
need
needto
toto
AA
unclog the bathroom sink; I havehave found
found that
that aa
B
plunger and a prayer often do do the
the trick.
trick.
C

A. are
B. has
C. does
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 2
Here are the books that Thomas and Darlene
A
need for their research, and here is
is the
arethe
the
earplugs
earplugs
earplugs
BB
that you’ll require once they both doze
doze off
off in
in
C
boredom and start snoring.

A. is
B. are
C. dozes
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 3
Jasmine and Rodney have
have decided
decided to
to double
double the
the
A
number of cupcakes that they are baking since
B
everyone love
love moist
lovesmoist
moistcake
cake
cakeand
and
andchocolate
chocolate
chocolatefrosting.
frosting.
frosting.
CC

A. has
B. is
C. loves
loves
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 4
Not only those students but also their professor

looksforward
look
look forward
forwardto
totothe
the
thefinal
final
finalexam;
exam;
exam;everyone
everyone
everyonehas
has
has
AA BB
exciting vacation plans that start start next
next Monday.
Monday.
C

A. looks
looks
B. have
C. starts
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 5
At the pet store, each iguana, mouse, and gerbil

tries
try
try to
toto
climb
climb
climb
the
the
the
walls
walls
walls
of
ofof
its
itsits
glass
glass
glass
cage
cage
cage
while
while
while
AA
humans hoverhover outside
outside like
like giant
giant predators
predators who
who are
are
B C
ready to strike.

A. tries
tries
B. hovers
C. is
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 6
Tyrone, as well as his cousins, hope
hope that
hopes that
thatGrandma
Grandma
Grandma
AA
brings her
brings herfamous
famousbrownies
browniesand
andpeach
peachpie piethat
that
B
drip with
drip with generous
generous scoops
scoops of
of vanilla
vanilla ice
ice cream.
cream.
C

A. hopes
hopes
B. bring
C. drips
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 7
Either the dogs or the cat sleep
sleep on
sleeps on
onthe
the
thebed
bed
bedwhile
while
while
AA
everyone is
is out;
out; Lorraine
Lorraine always
always finds
findsan an
B C
indentation in the center of her comforter.

A. sleeps
sleeps
B. are
C. find
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 8
Meryl, together with her friends Beatrice and Laverne,

plans aa daily
plans daily trip
trip for
for ice
ice cream,
cream, for
for these
these women
women
A
have discovered
have discovered that that the
the calories
calories is
is worth
are worth
worthseeing
seeing
seeing
B CC
Theo scoop their servings with his muscular arms.

A. plan
B. has
C. are
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 9
The scissors are sharp, so neither the cousins nor
A
Timmy is
is allowed
allowed to to play
play with
with them,
them, even
even when
when the
the
B
boys needs
needstoto
need tofinish
finish
finishaaaschool
school
schoolproject.
project.
project.
CC

A. is
B. are
C. need
need
D. No change is necessary.
 Item 10
Each fork, spoon, and knife are
is scarred
scarredfrom
fromthe
the
AA
disposal since Drew refuses
refusestotocheck
checkthe
thedrain
drain
B
before he throws
throwsthe
theswitch.
switch.
C

A. is
is
B. refuse
C. throw
D. No change is necessary.