SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT

RULE 1
A COLLECTIVE NOUN REQUIRES A SINGULAR
VERB WHEN THE GROUP IS ACTING AS A
SINGLE UNIT.
Examples :
• The jury has returned its verdict.
• My family owns valuable coin collection
A COLLECTIVE NOUN REQUIRES A PLURAL VERB
WHEN MEMBERS OF THE GROUP ARE ACTING
AS INDIVIDUALS.
Examples :
• The team were arguing about practice time
• Our families are going different places for
vocations
 RULE 2
TWO OR MORE SUBJECT JOINED BY AND
REQUIRE PLURAL VERBS

Examples :
• Janet and Beth have curly hair
• Riding, fishing, and hunting are his favorite
sports
 RULE 3
THE PRONOUNS WHO, WHICH AND THAT BE EITHER SINGULAR
OR PLURAL, DEPENDING ON THE WORDS TO WHICH THEY
REFER
Examples :
• Carol is the one of the girls who go home every weekend.
• (Who refers to girls (plural) and must have plural verb)
• Carol is the only one of the girls who goes home every
weekend.
• (The addition of the word only changes the meaning of this
sentence so that who now refers to one (singular) and must
have a singular verb.
 RULE 4
WHEN USED ALONE AS SUBJECTS (WITHOUT
THEIR CORRELATIVES OR AND NOR) EITHER AND
NEITHER REQUIRE SINGULAR VERB
Examples :
• Either of those books is acceptable.
• Neither is willing to give up his seat
• WHEN USED WITH THEIR CORRELATIVE OR AND NOR, EITHER AND
NEITHER ARE NOT SUBJECTS THEMSELVES: THEY SEPARATE THE
TWO PARTS OF A COMPOUND SUBJECT.
• THE VERB THEN AGREES WITH THE PART OF THE SUBJECT WHICH IS
CLOSER TO THE VERB
Examples:
• Either the drill sergeant or the soldiers are out of step.
(The verb is plural because it must agree with the part of the subject
which is closer to the verb – soldiers)
• Neither the potatoes nor the meat is very tasty.
(The verb is singular because it must agree with the part of the
subject which is closer to the verb – meat)
 RULE 5
THE INDEFINITE PRONOUNS EVERYONE AND
EVERYBODY ARE SINGULAR (EVEN THOUGH
THEY SEEM TO PREFER TO MANY PEOPLE) AND
REQUIRE SINGULAR VERB
Examples :
• Everyone in my class hopes to go to the game.
• Everybody in my block decorates for Christmas
The indefinite pronouns some and most take their
number from the object of the prepositional phrase
following the pronoun
Examples :
Some of the money was spent illegally.
(Some is singular because money is singular)
Some of the members refuse to vote.
(Some is plural because members is plural)
Most of the food has spoiled.
(Most is singular because food is singular)
Most of the dinners have been served.
(Most is plural because dinners is plural)
 RULE 6
PARENTHETICAL EXPRESSIONS FOLLOWING A SUBJECT DO NOT
BECOME PART OF THE SUBJECT, NOR DO THEY CHANGE ITS NUMBER
Examples :
• Marie, as well as her parents, is planning to go.
• (Marie, the subject, requires singular verb. The phrase as well as
her parents is not part of the subject, nor does it make the subject
plural).
• Jim, with two friends, is coming to the party.
• (Jim, the subject, requires a singular verb. The phrase with two
friends is not part of the subject, nor does it make the subject
plural.
Thank you