1. The young boys are friends.

2. They are happily singing and dancing.

3. The boy in green shirt and pants has
golden hair.
4. The one wearing orange shirt and black
pants colors his hair.
5. All of the boys in clothes of varying
colors have black hair. The hair of the
rightmost boy is black while the smallest
has black hair, too.
1. Two men are heatedly arguing.
2. Both are very angry.
3. The man with brown hair
points his finger at his enemy.
4. The other with gray hair
answers back. He is likewise
angry.
5. Nothing matters to them.
Neither is giving way.
1. The man in white shirt is having an
argument with a group of people – an old
woman, a teenager and a man as old as
the first man.
2. The group with the same expression in
loud voices answers or argues back. No
one is listening to the other. Everyone
shouts at top of his voice.
3. The young girl does not know what to
do. She covers her ears and says
something to the three.
A singular subject requires a
singular verb. A plural
subject requires a plural
verb. Intervening words or
phrases do not affect the
number of subject and the
agreement between subject
and the verb.
 Singular
I sleep.
You sleep.
He, She, It sleeps.

Plural
We sleep.
You sleep.
They sleep.
 Singular
another anyone each everybody everyone
anybody anything either everything
much neither no one nobody nothing
one other somebody someone something

Plural
Both
Many
Several
Few
Others
Jack and Jill (walks, walk)
up the hill.
Jack and Jill (walks, walk)
up the hill.

Two nouns are joined by and.

Either the microphone or
the speakers (is, are)
broken.
 Either the microphone or
the speakers (is, are)
broken.

When subjects are joined by the either. . or, the verb must agree
with the subject nearest to it. In this case, the speakers is nearest
to the verb.
The worst backyard pest ( is, are)
squirrels.
The worst backyard pest ( is, are)
squirrels.

The verb must agree with the subject itself and not with the words
modifying the noun.
 The dog who likes to
chase my cats (run, runs)
away.
 The dog who likes to
chase my cats (run, runs)
away.

We need to focus on the subject itself.

Everyone in the class
(is, are) happy.
 Everyone in the class
(is, are) happy.

Indefinite pronouns as subject may take singular or

plural verbs.
 Others (is, are)
encouraged to attend
the meeting.
 Others (is, are)
encouraged to attend
the meeting.

Others is a plural indefinite pronoun.

There (is, are) three things to
remember.

Here (is, are) a copy of the

file.
There (is, are) three things to
remember.

Here (is, are) a copy of the

file.

Here and There are not subjects. The subject comes

after the verb.
Three thousand pesos
(is, are) a big amount
of money.
 Three thousand pesos
(is, are) a big amount
of money.

Expressions stating amount of time, money, weight,

volume take a singular verb.
 A third of the city (is, are)
unemployed.

A third of the people (is, are)

unemployed.
 A third of the city (is, are)
unemployed.

A third of the people (is, are)

unemployed.

Consider the nouns indicated by portions.

The jury (is, are) present
in the trial to talk about
their decision.
The jury (is, are) present
in the trial to talk about
their decision.

With collective nouns such as group, jury, family,

audience, population, the verb might be singular or
plural, depending on the writer's intent or context.