Subject Verb Agreement
Subject Verb Agreement
Subject Verb Agreement
There is an old saying: “Opposites attract.” The rule for singular and plural verbs is just the opposite of the rule for
singular and plural nouns. Remember this when you match subjects and verbs. You might guess that stays and smells are
plural verbs because they end in s. They aren’t. Both stays and smells are singular verbs.
RULE 2 – The number of the subject (singular or plural) is not changed by words that come between the subject and the
verb.
One of the eggs is broken. Of the eggs is a prepositional phrase. The subject one and the verb is are both singular.
Mentally omit the prepositional phrase to make the subject verb-agreement easier to make.
RULE 3 – Some subjects always take a singular verb even though the meaning may seem plural.
each one
someone somebody
either no one
anyone anybody
neither everyone
nobody everybody
Someone in the game was (not were) hurt. Neither of the men is (not are) working.
RULE 4 – The following words may be singular or plural, depending upon their use in a sentence, some, any, all, most.
RULE 5 – Subjects joined by and are plural. Subjects joined by or or Nor take a verb that agrees with the last subject.
RULE 6 – There and here are never subjects. In sentences that begin with these words, the subject is usually found later
on in the sentence.
There were five books on the shelf. (were, agrees with the subject book)
Here is the report you wanted. (Is agrees with subject report)
A collective noun is a noun used to name a whole group. Following are some common examples:
The orchestra were asked to give their musical backgrounds. (Orchestra is considered as separate individuals—plural)
RULE 8 – Expressions of time, money, measurement, and weight are usually singular when the amount is considered one
unit.
RULE 9 – Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in meaning.
RULE 10 – Don’t and Doesn’t must agree with the subject. Use doesn’t after he, she, it.