Pointers in

Writing
Rules on
Agreement of
Subject and
1. Nouns plural in form but singular in
meaning such as: Physics, news,
politics, Economics, civics, etc. take
singular verbs:
Ex.: News of the promotion of the Assistant
Commissioner has been released.
Statistics provides clear information to
researchers.
“Politics is a dirty game”, says a journalist.
2. A singular subject takes a singular
verb even if there are intervening
words.

Ex.: Auditor De Leon, with his secretary

and clerk, is here for the meeting.

The team leader, with his staff, is

ready for the briefing.
3. Singular verbs are used for
indefinite words such as: someone,
everyone, no one, and nobody,
every, each.

Ex.: Every article is labeled properly.

Everyone has been requested to

submit his audit recommendations.
4. Collective nouns take singular verbs
if they are taken as a whole; they
take plural verbs if every individual
of the noun is considered.

Ex.: The accounting department is giving a

party for the Director.

The accounting department are not able

to come to a consensus.
5. A unit of measurement takes a
singular verb.

Ex.: Twenty pesos is the interest he has

to pay.
One hundred grams is lacking for the
weight to be complete.
6. Two subjects connected by and
require a plural verb; however, if the
subject means only one person, a
singular verb is needed.

Ex.: The Commissioner and the Secretary are

attending a conference.
My stenographer and typist is very efficient.
(The stenographer and typist refer to only
one person.)
7. When a group of words expresses
one idea, such as a quotation, a title,
etc., the singular verb is used.

Ex.: “The Secretaries” is an informative book

which is ideal for office use.
The “Revised Rules of Procedures of the
Commission on Audit” is printed in a manual.
8. Two subjects connected by either-
or, neither-nor, need a singular verb
if the subjects are singular; if the
subjects are plural, they need a plural
verb; if one subject is singular and
the other is plural, the verb agrees
with the subject near it.
Ex.:Either the auditor or the accountant is
interested in the issue.

Either the auditors or the accountants are

interested in the issue.

Neither the auditor nor the accountants are

interested in the issue.

Neither the auditors nor the accountant is

interested in the issue.