Grammar Skills (GS)

Grammar Skills:
Subject-Verb Agreement

A singular subject (noun/pronoun) calls for a singular form of verb; a plural

Rule 1:
subject calls for a plural form of the verb.

Ex: Jon is here. The girls are here, too.

Notes:

Intervening prepositional phrases like "along with, together with, as well as", do
Rule 2:
not affect the subject.

The CD, along with the DVDS, is

Ex:
on sale.
The guests together with the host, have
arrived.

Notes

The indefinite pronouns everyone, no one, each, anyone, someone, nobody,

Rule 3: somebody, everything, anybody, something, are always singular and therefore,
require singular verbs

Someone has to do it. Everyone is

Ex:
happy

Notes:
 Some indefinite pronouns - such as all, none and some - are singular or plural depending
Rule 4:
on what they're referring to.

Ex: All of the quests are punctual. None of them are right.
Some of the mall is open.

Notes:

The pronouns neither and either when used without "or" and "nor"; are singular and
Rule 5:
require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

Ex: The CD, along with the DVDS, is on sale.

The quests together with the host, have arrived.

Notes

Rule 6: The expressions either…or and neither...nor take the clue from the nearer subiect.

Ex: Either Bobby or they are taking the training.

Neither the supervisor nor the agent thinks it's a good idea.

Notes

The expression "a number of" always requires a plural verb while the expression "the
Rule 7:
number of" always requires a singular verb.

Ex: A number of customers are planning to file a complaint.

The number of satisfied customers has increased since last quarter.

Notes