1

RULES IN SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

1. The verb must agree with the subject.
a. Singular subjects require singular verbs.
What constitutes a singular subject?
i. A singular noun (Dennis, chair, bike, cat, wind, tree)
Ex. Dennis rides his bike everyday.
This chair needs repainting.
The cat plays with a tangled bundle of yarn.
ii. Personal pronouns, singular, third person-(he, she, it)
Note: Refrain from using pronouns as subjects unless there is a noun antecedent
previously mentioned in the same or another sentence,
Ex. Marian participates in many baking contests. She bakes heavenly tasting chocolate
chips cookies. Marian is the antecedent of “She” in the next sentence.
Richard is a drag car racer. He owns several cars that he uses for the race.
The wind increases in intensity as it moves towards the northern end of the
Philippines.
iii. Collective nouns taken as a unit (Ex. choir, team, herd, family, majority, minority)
Ex. The family prays the rosary every night.
This herd grazes in the north pasture.
The majority has rejected the Reproductive Health Bill
iv. Mass nouns (Ex. sand, water, air, gas, oil, rice, flour, blood)
Ex. The sand tickles my toes.
The cold water refreshes the old woman’s tired body.
Cassava flour makes the pastries flaky.
v. Indefinite pronouns considered as singular. (Ex. another, any, anybody, anyone, anything,
each, either, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, no one, nobody, nothing, one,
,somebody, someone, something)
Ex. Mr. Abello hires three boys to help in the house. Each receives a salary of 3000PhP
per month.
Everybody helps to make this event a success.
Nobody knows the number combination of this safe except the general manager.
vi. Indefinite pronouns, (all, any, more, most, much , none, some ) when referring to mass
nouns.
Ex, All of the water has flowed into the basin of the river.
Most of the oil from Saudi Arabia goes to United States.
Some of the spilled oil has reached as far as the beaches of Negros.
vii. Singular demonstrative pronouns (this, that)
Ex. This needs the signature of the manager.
Don’t buy that house. That requires extensive renovation.
viii. Fractions of a unit or mass nouns. The fractions must be written in words.

1
 2

Ex. Three fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water.

One half of the deceased’s estate was donated to several charities.
Two thirds of the salad was served to the guests.
ix. Measurements (volume, distance, length) time, quantities and sums of money considered
as a unit.
Ex. Ten liters of gasoline is the capacity of this tank.
Forty kilometers demands much endurance from a marathon runner.
Five years is the standard time for cancer remission.
Three yards is not enough for a long gown.
Two cups of milk is needed for this recipe.
Ten million in one’s possession makes a person worry about his safety.
x. Personal pronoun I ( only with the verb “to be “ in the past tense)
Ex. I was notified of the result of the exam.
I was considering transferring to the farm for my health.
xi. Percentage of a unit or mass noun (The percentage must be written in words)
Ex. Twenty one percent of our atmosphere consists of oxygen.
Thirty percent of our income goes to taxes.
Ten percent is the discount given for this item.
b. Plural subjects require plural verbs
What constitutes a plural subject?
i. All plural count nouns (Ex. children, buses, trees, dogs, marbles etc.)
Ex. The children watch an educational movie during their break.
Marbles are sold by packs of fifties.
Majestic trees line the road leading to an equally majestic mansion.
ii. The personal pronoun I in the present tense, and present perfect tense, except with the
verb “to be” in present progressive tense .
Ex. I work at a call center for a living.
I have received your message.
BUT: I am studying for my master’s degree.
Note; The personal pronoun I in the present tense of the verb “to be” uses the form “am”
I am the captain of my fate; I am the master of my soul.
iii. Personal pronoun You whether singular or plural.
Ex. You write with such a delicate stroke.
You are managing your business extremely well.
You have recovered from your ailment.
You are the hope of our land. (addressed to the youth – Plural in sense)
iv. All plural personal pronouns (we, they) in present, present progressive, past progressive
and present perfect tenses.)
Ex. We celebrate the coming of a new day.
They prefer to watch comedy rather than drama.( in contrast or in opposition
We are having a garage sale.
They are experiencing power outages these days.

2
 3

We were enjoying ourselves at your party last night.

They were shooting the movie “Tiktik” in our place last month.
We have opened a new branch at Escolta.
They have decided to postpone their trip.
v. Plural demonstrative pronouns (these, those)
You can leave the books here. These belong to Jesse.
See those piles of clothes on the sofa? Those need drastic alterations.
vi. Indefinite pronouns (all, none, most, some) when they refer to count nouns.
Ex. None of us want to dine in that restaurant.
All of the boys were wearing their new uniform during the opening ceremonies.
Some of the girls are preparing for their foundation day.
Most of us have experienced grief at certain times in our lives.
vii. Plural indefinite pronouns (both, few, many, others, several)
Ex. Both of them are members of the Knights of Columbus.
Few have responded to the call for a meeting,
Others are watching the game at the pay per view channel.
Many favor this brand of milk product.
viii. Collective nouns taken individually
Ex. The herd are scattered all over the pasture.
A battalion of policemen disperse the crowd with tear bombs.
The jury are divided in their decision about the case.
The choir are entering the stage one by one.
ix. Adjectives used as a subject
Ex. The young enjoy life to the fullest degree.
The needy line the street next to the church
The intelligent possess qualities many of us don’t have.
Note: Public can be an adjective or a noun. As a noun, it is classified as collective noun.( cf. a.iii
and b.viii)
Ex.#1. The public (noun- a unit) deserves transparency in the acts of public( adj.) servants.
#2 The public (as individuals) have the freedom to vote whoever they choose.
x. Fractions of a quantity
Ex. Two thirds of the people in the world live in extreme poverty.
One half of the pies have been sold.
xi. Quantities, sums of money taken individually
Ex. A hundred pesos in bills of five are scattered in the lobby.
Five kilos of rice are packaged to be given to flood victims.
xii. Percentage of count nouns
Ex. Five percent of the boys are absent due to influenza.
Eighty five percent of the taxpayers do not pay their taxes accurately.
2. Singular subjects connected by and require a plural verb.
Ex. Helen and Robert are getting married this December.
The weed and the rice plant compete with each other for food.

3
 4

In the piano, ivory and ebony get together in perfect harmony.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE RULE

a. Singular subjects connected by and but are preceded by Each or Every take on a singular
verb.
Ex. Each chair and table at the kindergarten classrooms has been painted with pastel colors.
Every bush and tree in the orchard receives an appropriate amount of fertilizer.
Each senator and congressman obtains an allocation for his countryside development fund.
BUT: Sean and April each are desirous of obtaining a higher level position.
b. Singular subjects connected by and but are preceded by Many a take on a singular verb.
Ex. Many a man and a woman has found out that life is not always a bed of roses.
Many a moment and event in our lives imprints itself indelibly in our memory.
Many a grass and shrub gets trampled by rushing feet.
c. Singular subjects connected by and but refer to only one thing or person take on a singular
verb.
EX. The manager and owner of the corner grocery store orders vegetables from a nearby
farm.
BUT: The manager and the owner of the corner grocery store order vegetables from a
nearby farm. (two different persons)
My mother and closest confidant boosts my self-esteem in many ways.
BUT : My mother and my closest confidant boost my self-esteem in many ways.
d. Food considered as a unit take on a singular verb.
Ex. Rice and fish is the standard Filipino meal.
Spaghetti and meatballs makes a delicious and filling snack.
e. Numbers when added together take on a singular verb
Ex. Eight and five makes thirteen.
Twelve and thirteen equals twenty five.
f. Cliches take on a singular verb
Ex. To have and to hold often appears in wedding invitations.
Forever and ever is a hyperbole.
3. Singular subjects connected by or… nor, either… or, neither …nor, not only… but also, require
singular verbs
Ex. James or Johann has reported the accident to the manager.
Either Jayne or Mira tops the examination for the scholarship.
Not only Raffy but also his brother works in their father’s construction firm.
Neither rain nor snow slows the letter carrier.
4. Subjects connected by or or nor, either… or, neither …nor, not only… but also, not …but that
differ in person or in number will have the verb agreeing with the nearer subject.
Ex. Neither Marissa nor her parents were notified of the loss.
Either the girls or their teacher has borrowed the tape recorder.
Not star but planets are visible on a night like this.
5. Singular subjects connected by correlative conjunction both ... and will require a plural verb.

4
 5

Ex. Both your adviser and your subject teacher believe that you’re the best candidate for class
president.

6. Intervening words, phrases or clauses do not in any way affect the agreement between the subject
and the verb.

Kinds of intervening words, phrases or clauses

a. Adverb
Ex. Mother always bakes a chocolate cake for our birthday.
Channel 5 sometimes shows anime early in the afternoon.
Father oftentimes brings us novelties from his trips abroad.
b. Appositive - a word or phrase directly following the noun it modifies.
Ex. 1 The focal point of the garden, (the giant cabbage roses), has attracted a lot of visitors.
The appositive”roses” is plural. The plural appositive does not affect the relationship between
point, singular subject and has attracted, singular verb.
Ex.2. Mother’s favorite pre-occupation, (collecting coins), usually irritates father.
“collecting coins” is the appositive to pre-occupation
c. Prepositional Phrase (the most common intervening phrase)
Ex. The work (of the masons) requires a thorough knowledge of structural rocks.
The old love letters (from her long-lost love) are kept inside an antique jewelry box.
The leader (of the rebels) refuses to accept the terms of the truce.
d. Present participial phrase
Ex. The players, (following the coach’s order), practice until 7 o’clock on Fridays.
The old man (selling the colorful balloons) usually stays in front of the elementary school.
e. Infinitive phrase
Ex. The general’s order, (to penetrate the enemies’ lines) was immediately carried out.
Melanie’s ambition, (to become a world class ballet dancer), is fully supported by her
mother.
f. Past participial phrase
Ex. The antique statue (of the Blessed Virgin)*, (taken by the thieves), was mysteriously
returned to its niche a week later.(*prepositional phrase)
The students, (led by their principal) are joining the campaign for the greening of the
countryside.
g. Adjective clause
Ex. The girls (that Sally Villaluz is coaching for an Olympic medal), swim fifty laps everyday.
Melissa, (whom the basketball players have chosen as their muse), excels in many
curricular activities

7. Take note that in inverted sentences ,the verb, especially the helping or auxiliary verb, comes
before the subject.

5
 6

Kinds of Inverted Sentences

a. Sentences introduced by Here or There
Ex. (Here) comes the bride.
Normal order of the sentence is: The bride comes (here).
Here come the bride and her entourage.
Normal order of the sentence is: The bride and her entourage come (here).
b. Sentences introduced by Interrogative Pronouns. What, Which, Whom, Why, When, Where,
How.
Ex. Why is that girl crying?
Normal order of the sentence is: That girl is crying. Why?
How are the boys progressing in their experimental car?
Normal order of the sentence is: The boys are progressing in their experimental car.
How?
Which book have you chosen?
Normal order of the sentence is: You have chosen which (book)? Book is the direct
object of the verb.
c. Sentences introduced by linking verb “to be”
Ex. Is Anne happy in her new job?
Are the girls excited about meeting Manny Pacquiao in person?
d. Sentences introduced by auxiliary or helping verb “to be”
EX. Are your parents attending the meeting?
Is Jake starring in this movie?
e. Sentences introduced by auxiliary verb “to do” or “to have”.
Ex. Has Emmanuel completed his requirements for graduation?
Does the word “quirt” strike a chord in your memory?
f. Sentences introduced by prepositional phrase
Ex. Behind the clouds lies a vast blue sky.
Inside that computer rest various data for your research.
g. Sentences introduced by present participle
Ex. Lining along Rizal Avenue are the people eager to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors
and actresses.
Protesting loudly against unjust accusations is the primary suspect of the murder case.
h. Sentences introduced by past participle
Ex. Hidden among the brown leaves is a solitary mottled quail egg.
Taken in captivity are the members of the Al’ Qaida break-away band.
8. Compound subjects in which one is used affirmatively and the other negatively, will have the verb
agreeing with the subject used affirmatively.
Yasmin, not I, is making the presentation for our project.
I, not Yasmin, am making a presentation for our project.
9. When the subject and the linking verb complement differ in number, the verb agrees with the
subject and not with the linking verb complement.

6
 7

Ex. Sharon’s studies and her budding career as a writer are her main pre-occupation these days.
Sharon’s main pre-occupation these days is her studies and budding career as a writer.
10. Words that are plural in form but singular in meaning take on singular verbs.( news, measles,
chassis, mumps, viscus, abacus, atlas, abscess, aegis, genesis, apparatus, neurosis, etc)
The chassis of your car needs treatment against rust.
The abscess in your leg has accumulated a lot of pus.
11. Words ending in –ICS are singular in meaning if they refer to a subject, a branch of science or a
field of concentration.
Ex. Tactics 102 is taught during Third Year in PMA. (subject)
Military tactics teach a soldier to penetrate the mind of the enemy. (strategies)
12. Words enclosed in parenthesis are not part of the subject.
Ex, Louie (and his puppet ) entertains the audience as a ventriloquist’
13. Some nouns may be construed as singular or plural according to context. (ashes* (plural when
referring to remains of cremation), wages, amends, remains, accommodation, archives, bowels,
communications, goods, wood, information, advice, knowledge, barracks, crossroads, means,
species, usually collective nouns)
Ex. Amends to compensate for the loss of his belongings was given to Mr. Cruz.
Amends are distributed to the family* of the victims of landslide due to mining activities.
The wages for sin is death.
14. Series is singular when used to refer to a set of things even if it is followed by the preposition of
and a plural noun
Ex. A series of competitive games will be shown in Sports Network on Saturday.
15. Series takes on a plural verb when it refers to two or more sets of things
Ex. Three series of political sorties are planned by the Liberal Party next week.
16. Titles of books, essays, movies, plays, musical compositions, paintings or other such works, that are
plural in form, take on a singular verb.
Ex. The Three Musketeers was written by Alexander Dumas. (Title of a book)
The Three Stooges stars Charlie Chaplin. (Movie)
17. Names of groups, organizations or countries that are plural in form, take on a singular verb.
Ex. The United Nations has sent peacekeeping forces to Iraq.
The Netherlands is a land of dikes.
18. Some nouns take on only plural verbs.(clothes, fireworks, scissors, trousers,* credentials, earnings,
headquarters, etc.)
Ex. Nina’s clothes are badly sewn.
The magnificent fireworks have awed the onlookers.
19. Some nouns take on a secondary plural form. ( fish, water, hair, land, money*, cheese, sand, etc)
Ex. The white hairs on grandmother’s head increase as the years pass.
The monies* that undergo devaluation include the US dollar, Greek drachma, British
pound, Italian lira, etc.
20. The expression “the number” takes on a singular verb while “a number” takes on plural verb.
Ex. The number of high school graduates opting to take up nursing has grown to enormous
proportions.

7
 8

A number have chosen nursing as a career because it’s the fastest way to go abroad.
21. “The contents” when used as a subject takes on a singular verb if it refers to quality or mass noun
and a plural verb when it refers to quantity or count nouns.
Ex. The contents of the chest were (are) old clothes. (plural noun)
The contents of the chest was (is) Grandma’s wedding dress.(a unit)
The contents of the bottle was (is) strawberry jam. (mass noun)
22. Relative pronouns who, that, which will take on the number of the word they refer to.
Ex. This is the group of islands that attract thousands of tourists. (This refers to group; that
refers to islands)
I have brought the boy who has painted this mural. (who refers to boy)
23. In sentence constructions containing one of and only one of, in which a relative pronoun is subject
of the verb in the subordinate clause, the verb agrees with the antecedent of the relative pronoun.
Ex. He is one of the soldiers who never get tired of patrolling. (He belongs to the soldiers
who never get tired of patrolling)
He is the only one of the candidates who is willing to debate the issues. (who refers to
one)
24. Clauses when used as a subject depend on other words in context to determine the number of its
verb.
Ex. What you plan requires an enormous outlay of money. (outlay is singular and it
determines the verb)
What you plan require skilled workers and good managers.(workers and managers
determine the number of the verb.)
25. A subject based on verbal noun (gerund or infinitive) is treated as singular.
Ex. Reassembling the watch’s broken pieces takes steady hands and patience
Telling lies does not improve one’s character at all.
To have lots of money is the desire of many.
26. A subject consisting of a single noun clause is treated as singular.
Ex. Why Felix just walked out without explanation still baffles us.
How the baby manages to get out of his crib remains a mystery to his parents.
27. Some nouns have the same form for singular and plural.( moose, tuna, milkfish, species, deer)
Ex. The means justifies the end.
The means to save the European nations from economic collapse are drying up.
Tuna abound in that cold water bay.
Tuna makes a delicious sandwich.
28. Be careful of the plural forms of nouns derived from foreign language.( agendum- agenda, datum-
data; basis- basis; criterion-criteria; bacterium-bacteria; genus-genera; phenomenon-phenomena,;
die-dice, etc)
Ex. The data* for this experiment are available in the laboratory.
(*use with singular verb already acceptable. cf. Angelina S. La Viña, Master Trainer,
Training for Less, harrypound.com)
The phenomena baffle the scientists.
One criterion has been omitted from the list.

8
 9

29. “It” can be personal pronoun or an expletive. An expletive is a sentence filler or introducer. The
most common expletives are here, there, and it . That, whether, and If are considered expletives
when they introduce noun clauses. The expletive It is also called a false subject.
Ex. #1. It is obvious that he has studied hard.
Normal sentence: That he has studied hard is obvious. The clause functions as
subject of the sentence.

#2. It makes sense to save a part of your monthly wages.

Normal order of the sentence: To save a part of your monthly wages makes sense.

NOTE 1: In the normal order of the sentence, the expletive “it” disappears.

NOTE 2: Take care not to mistake the expletive “it” for the personal pronoun “it”.

#3. It is amazing that Robin can read at the age of four.

Normal order of the sentence: That Robin can read at the age of four is amazing.
Ex. of It as Personal Pronoun: Robin’s mother enrolled him In L’Ecole. It is a school that
specializes in teaching gifted children.

It is a personal pronoun substituting for L’Ecole.

#4. It is wonderful to be alive.

Normal order of the sentence. To be alive is wonderful.

30. Quantifiers ( generally, indefinite pronouns used as modifiers: all, less, more, most. much,
some)when modifying a mass noun take on a singular verb; when modifying a count noun take on a
plural verb.
Ex. #1: All this rushing water empties into a gigantic inland lake.
#2. All the invited participants are wearing the official yellow uniform.
#3. More precious oil is wasted by an inefficient combustion engine.
#4. More inhabitants of the island are leaving it for the big city each year.
31. Business names, companies, names of organizations may take on a plural form but they will take a
singular verb because they refer to only one entity. (The Residences, Cojuangco and Sons, The
Jaycees)
Ex. #1. The Residences offers condominium units of your choice at affordable prices.
#2. The Jaycees holds “The Search for Ten Outstanding Young Men” every year.
#3. Mediaquest Holdings, a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust, is the vehicle being considered
to acquire GMA 7.

32. Names of Sports teams will require plural verbs. (even if they don’t end in “s”)Basketball: Utah
Jazz; Orlando Magic: Oklahoma City Thunder. Baseball: Boston Red Sox; Chicago White Sox,
English Premier League (Football) Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, ; European
Football Real Madrid, Ajax (Amsterdam) Juventus (Torino, Italy) AC Milan (Milan)
Ex. #1. Miami Heat prevail over Chicago Bulls.
# 2. Chelsea reach finals in European Champion League.