Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule # 1• Subjects and verbs must agree in number.

Singular nouns take singular verbs; Plural nouns take plural verbs.

Rule # 2• Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb.

The dog, that is chewing on my jeans, is usually very playful.

The students who participated in the Science week celebration were too tired to do their PeTas.

Rule # 3• Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.

The paintings in the gallery are so expensive.

Rule # 4• When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be placed after the verb.

There is something wrong with his outfit.

Here are the letters you gave me for the past months.

Rule # 5• Subjects joined by and typically require a plural verb form.

My sister and I love to swim.

Cellular phone, wallet and keys are the things that I always bring.

Rule # 6

• The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by and are taken as one.

Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite spread.

Red beans and rice is the cafeteria’s meal of the day.

Rule # 7

• Each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, no one and somebody are singular and require singular verbs

Each of the girls sings well.

Every one of the cakes is gone.

• If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Rule # 8

Not only Kenzo but also Kereen want/wants to visit grandma.

Not only Marvin but also all of the grandchildren want/wants to visit grandma.

Neither Miss Kim nor Jesy writes/write on the blackboard.

Neither the teacher nor the students writes/write on the blackboard.

Rule # 9

• When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.

Neither of them is available to speak right now.

Rule # 10 • Percent, fraction, part, majority, some, none, remainder, and so forth —look at the noun in your of  phrase to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. The expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb: "More than one student has tried this."

None of the garbage was picked up.

One third of the city is unemployed.

• Few, many, several, both, all, and some always take the plural form.

Rule # 11

Some people in my office are very annoying. 

Few mountain climbers have successfully reached the peak of Mt. Everest.

• If two infinitives are separated by and they take the plural form of the verb.

To swim and to run require great skill.

Rule # 12

• Collective nouns like herd, senate, class, crowd, group, team etc. usually take a singular verb form.

•In very few cases, the plural verb is used if the individuals in the group are though of and specifically referred to.

Rule # 13

• Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

Rule # 14

The last of the Mohicans is a nice movie.

Final Rule – Remember, only the subject affects the verb!

Seatwork! Directions: Choose correct verbs in the text below.(Rx1)

Adolescence 1. (brings, bring) with it a multiplicity of change in every aspect of a child’s life. There 2. (is, are) a great expansion and intensification of the emotional life as the adolescence 3. (reaches, reach) out for new experience and understanding but at the same time 4. (adopts, adopt) a defensive stance against possible consequences. It 5. (is, are) normally a period of hopes and ideals, of longings often divorced from reality and of passion over matters those older persons often 6.(sees, see) as being of little consequence. Emotions 7.(does, do) tend to show greater fluctuations during adolescence than in the periods that 8. (precedes, precede) and 9. (follows, follow) it. Periods of great enthusiasm and attempt at high achievement 10. (is, are) allowed by morbid self analysis. Emotions can lead to violence attachments to members of the opposite sex and intense friendship characterized by pledges and vows.