Subject verb Agreement

Presented to Ma’am Noor ul ain by:

Bisma Anwar
Aqsa Mukhtar
Malaika Mushtaq
Nabiha Ijaz
Samra Suleman
Basic Rule:
 A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural
verb
Example:
She writes every day
I speak French quite well
Note:
Singular verb takes (s/es)
Plural verb takes no (s/es)
RULE # 01:
Subjects linked with “and”

If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.
Example:

•The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
•Billy and Jake are going to the movies.
EXCEPTION
 Theverb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same
person or thing as a whole.
EXAMPLE:
 My friend, philosopher and guide have come. (change ‘have‘ to ‘has‘)
Rule 2: There or Here
When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed after the verb .
EXAMPLE:
There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.
 Rule# 03
If the subject is joined by ‘as well as‘, ‘with‘, ‘along with‘, ‘together with‘, ‘and not‘,
‘In addition to‘, ‘but‘, ‘besides‘, ‘except‘, ‘rather than‘, ‘accompained by‘, ‘like‘,
‘unlike‘, ‘no less than‘, ‘nothing but‘, the verb will agree with the first subject.

Examples:

1.Ram as well as his parents, is coming.

2.The captain along with the sailors was drowned.
 Rule#04
 Ifan article is placed just before the 1st subject, it means the person/think is
the same for which two nouns are used. Hence singular verb will be used.

Examples:

A white and black gown was bought by her.

Churchil was a great orator and politician of his time. (right)
Exception
But if an article is used before every subject, it refers to different
people/things.
Hence plural verb will be used.

Example:

The director and the producer have come.

Rule #5
Singular and Plural Subjects Connected by Conjunction

 If one subject is singular and the other is plural and the words are
connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not
only/but also," use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the
verb.
EXAMPLE:
 Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
 Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.
Rule #06:
Collective Nouns
 A collective noun, such as "team" or "staff". Typically, they take the singular
form, as the collective noun is treated as a cohesive single unit.
EXAMPLE

 The herd is stampeding.

 The committee is against the plan.(acting collectively-singular)
Exception
• when collective noun acts as individually , it takes plural
verb.
Example:
 The committee are of different opinion. (acting individually plural)
 The audience have taken their seats.
 Rule# 07
Indefinite Pronouns
 Indefinitepronouns typically take singular verbs.
 The exceptions to the rule include the pronouns "few," "many,"
"several," and "both." These always take the plural form.
Example:
 Everybody wants to be loved.
 Few were left alive after the flood
Rule#08
Quiz
1:Fish and chips is/are my favorite dish.
2:Slow and steady win/wins the race.
3:There is/are a high hurdle to jump.
4:Bread and butter is/are difficult to earn.
5:Here is/are the keys.
6:Jake,along with his sisters, is/are enjoying the picnic.
7:Has/have Ram or Sham come.
8:Gymnastics is/are very popular among girls.
9: The jury is/are divided in its/ their opinion.
Rule# 09
Units of Measure

 If plural noun is used after cardinal

adjectives (one, two, three, four etc.) and if plural noun denotes
certain amount, weight, height or period, singular verb will be used.

Example:
 Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.
 Hundred boys are in my class.
Rule # 10
Relative Pronoun
 Ifa subject and the verb are joined by a relative pronoun, the verb
used will agree with the antecedent to the relative pronoun.

Examples:
 The man who is talking to me is a doctor.
Rule# 11
 Each, Every, Everyone, Someone, Somebody, Nobody,N one, O
ne, Any, Many a, More than one, are singular.
 Hence they will take a singular verb, singular
noun, and singular pronoun.
Examples:
 Each student has come.

 More than one man was present there.

Rule#12
 If
‘of‘ is used after each, every, one, etc. The noun or pronoun that
comes immediately after ‘of‘ will be plural in form.
 However the verb, pronoun, adjective, etc. That comes in the latter
part of the sentence will be singular in form.
Example:
 One of the boys/them has done his work.
Rule#13
 IfIndefinite Pronoun ‘One‘ comes as the subject of a sentence, it
takes singular verb and singular pronoun ‘one‘, ‘one’s‘, and ‘oneself‘
and not ‘he‘, ‘him‘, ‘his‘ or ‘himself‘. For example:
 Examples:
 One should keep his promise. (incorrect)
 One should keep one’s promise. (correct)
RULE#14
 If a sentence states an imaginary position, it starts with if, as if, as
though, suppose, I wish, in case, would that etc. In such sentences
‘were‘ is used the verb irrespective of the number of the subject.
 Examples:
 I wish, I were bird.
 If he were rich, he would help others.
 Rule#15

 An optative Sentences, singular subject takes plural verb.

 Example: Long live the Queen.
 (‘live‘ = plural verb, ‘queen‘ = singular subject)
Rule#16
 A number of / ‘a large number of ‘/ ‘a great number of’ is used with plural
countable noun. Hence they will take plural verb.

Examples:
 A number of students were present.

EXCEPTION:
 "the number of " use with plural countable noun. It will take singular verb.
EXAMPLE
 The number of vacancies in the company are/is declined. 💭
 Quiz

 Many a student have done their homework. (Use ‘his‘ in place of ‘their‘)
• Would that I was/were careful.
• A number of boys in the meeting is/are honest.
• May he win/wins the race.
• Each boy each girl has come
• I am not one of those who will trust everyone whom I meet.
 Ten minutes is enough time to get there
Rule# 17
Gerunds

 When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular
form of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the
plural form.
Example
 Standing in the water was a bad idea.
 Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
 RULE#18

 With uncountable nouns we use ‘Amount of /Quantity of’ followed by

a singular verb.
Examples:
 The amount of money are/is not sufficient.
 The quantity of milk is greater than honey in mixture.
 Rule# 19
Object of the Preposition

 "some," "half," "none," "more," or "all" are followed by a prepositional

phrase. Then the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.
EXAMPLE:
 All of the chicken is gone.
 Half of the chickens are gone.
RULE#20
 ‘All‘ can be used in both countable and uncountable sense. When used
as uncountable, it takes singular verb and when used as countable, it
takes plural verb.
Examples:
 All is well that ends well.
 All children need affection.
Rule #21
 Scenery, Poetry, Furniture, Advice, Information, Hair, Business, Mischief, Bread,
Stationery, Crockery, Luggage, Baggage, Postage, Knowledge, Wastage,
Jewelry, Breakage, Equipment, Evidence, Work (works means literary pieces),
Fuel and Cost are uncountable nouns and hence will take singular verb. These
nouns will not take article. ‘A/An‘, ‘many‘, ‘few‘, ‘number of‘, and ‘plural form‘
EXAMPLES
• The scenery of Kashmir has enchanted us.
• His hair is black.
• The mischief committed by him is unpardonable.
Exception
 The singular/plural form is made by adding certain words before the
uncountable nouns.
such as ' a piece of, items of, kinds of, a lot of' etc.
Examples:
 He gave me a piece of information.
 All pieces of information given by her was reliable.
 I want a few articles of jewelry.
 He ate two slices of bread.🤔
Rule#22

 Certain nouns exist in plural forms only. Thus ‘s’ cannot be

removed from such nouns to make them singular. They take the
plural verbs with them.
 Scissors, tongs, pliers, bellows, trousers, pants, pajamas etc.
Examples

 Where are my pants?

 Where are the tongs?
 The particulars are filled in the hospital.
Exception
You can use their singular forms by adding "a pair of".
Such as:
 A pair of trousers is/are spread on line to dry.
 A pair of scissors are/is lying on the table.
Rule#23
 News, innings, politics, summons, physics, economics, ethics, mathematics, m
umps, measles, rickets, shingles, billiards, athletics are certain nouns that are
plural in form but singular in meaning. They take singular verb.
Examples:
 No news is good news.
 Politics are a game.🧐
 Economics is an interesting subject.
 Ethics demands honesty.🤔
EXCEPTION

If ‘Statistics‘ means ‘data‘, Mathematics‘ means ‘Calculation‘ and

‘Politics‘ means ‘Political thought‘, plural verb is used.

Example:

• His statistics are very impressive.

• His politics are not suitable for his relations.
RULE#24
 Cattle,cavalry, infantry, poultry, peasantry, children, gentry, police, a
nd people are certain nouns are singular in form but plural in
meaning. They take plural verb . ‘s‘ is never used with these
nouns.
Examples:
 Cattle is/are grazing in the field.🧐
 Our infantry have march forward.🧐
 Police have arrested the thieves.