TOPIC: RULES OF SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT (CONCORD)

Rule: 1 The noun connected by ‘and not’, ‘as well as’, ‘together with’, ‘besides’, ‘in
addition to’ – are followed by a verb in the singular when the former of the two
nouns is in the singular; as –

Incorrect: The principal as well as professors were present in the students meeting.

Correct: The principal as well as the professors was present in the students’ meeting.

Rule: 2 When the collection is thought of as a whole, a collective noun takes a singular
verb; but when the individuals composing the collection are thought of, then
plural verb is used; as –

Correct: (a) The committee submitted its final report.

(b) The committee were divided in their options.

Rule: 3 ‘Ether’, ‘neither’, ‘each’, ‘everyone’, ‘no’, must be followed by a singular verb;
as –

Incorrect: Neither of his two sons are settled in life.

Correct: Neither of his two sons is settled in life.

Rule: 4 ‘Many a’ is always followed by a singular noun and a singular verb; as –

Correct: Full many a flower is born to blush unseen – Thomas Gray.

But when ‘many a’ is followed by two nouns of distinct meaning, the verb is
plural not singular; as –

Correct: Many a girl and boy have arrived to witness the show.

Rule: 5 ‘None’ when used alone takes plural verb though it looks properly singular; as

Correct: None are so deaf as those who will not hear.

Rule: 6 Except for the pronoun (few, many, several, both) that always take the plural
form; as –

Correct: Few were left alive after the earthquake.

Rule: 7 Two or more singular subjects connected by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either… or’, neither…
nor‘, ‘not only…but also’ take a verb in the singular; as –

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 1

Correct: Either Sumitra or Sarala has taken my book.

Rule: 8 If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words ‘or’, ‘nor’,
‘either… or’, neither…nor‘, ‘not only…but also’ the verb is plural; as –

Correct: Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.

Rule: 9 If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the
words ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either… or’, neither…nor‘, ‘not only…but also’ use the verb
form of the subject that is nearest; as –

Correct: Do your sisters or your girlfriend want any pizza?

Rule: 10 If the singular subjects are preceded by ‘each’ or ‘every’ the verb is usually
singular; as –

Correct: Every man and every woman was shocked at the death of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Rule: 11 If two singular nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb must be
singular; as

Correct: The poet and scholar has been awarded a merit award.

N.B.- The article is used only once when two nouns refer to the same person. If
different persons are referred to, the article would be used before both the
nouns and the verb would be plural; as –

Correct: The poet and the scholar are dead.

Rule: 12 When two singular nouns are practically synonymous, one being added to the
other for the sake of force of clarification, the verb is singular; as –

Correct: (a) His grit and valour has earned him distinction

(b) Neither of his two sons is settled in life.

(c) Peace and security in society is ensured by equality.

Rule: 13 When two singular nouns though not synonymous, are intended to express
jointly a single idea or a single whole, the verb is singular; as –

Correct: (a) Slow and steady wins the race.

(b) Bread and butter is his only food.

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 2

 (c) The ebb and flow of the tides goes on forever.

Rule: 14 When the plural noun is proper name for some collective unit or some single
object, the verb used singular; as –

Correct: (a) The Arabian Nights is an interesting book.

(b) The United States is now generally criticized in almost every get-
together of the developing nations.

(c) The Headquarters of the UNESCO is situated in Paris.

Rule: 15 When a plural Noun denotes some specific quality of amount considered as a
whole, the verb is generally singular; as –

Correct: (a) Hundred rupees is a good sum.

(b) Ten miles is a long distance for a pedestrian.

(c) Three parts of the business is still left for me to do.

Rule: 16 A singular verb is preferred with those nouns which are singular in meaning
though plural in form, such as ‘news’, ‘wages’, ‘gallows’, ‘Physics’,
‘Economics’, ‘Mathematics’, ‘mechanics’, ‘billiards’ etc; as –

Correct: (a) The wages of sin is death.

(b) The news you brought is indeed shocking to me.

(c) Their team won the match by an innings.

(d) Mathematics is not a tough subject for me.

Rule: 17 A plural verb is preferred with those nouns which are plural in meaning but
singular in form. Such nouns are: ‘number’, ‘variety’, ‘plenty’, ‘enemy’,
‘cannon’, ‘pair’, ‘none’ etc; as –

Correct: (a) A variety of fashions were popular in those days.

(b) None but the fair deserve the fair.

(c) A number of welfare programmes for the uplift of the backward classes
have been taken up.

N.B.- Despite this general usage, all depends on the context. The following sentences
are correct

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 3

 (a) A plenty of milk was supplied to him.

(b) Too great a variety of pursuits costs a lot the pays little.

Rule: 18(A) A verb should agree with its subject and not with the complement; as –

Incorrect: Our only guide were the stars.

Correct: Our only guide was the stars.

Incorrect: What are needed are not large fields but small plots.

Correct: What is needed are not large fields but small plots.

Rule: 18(B) Some nouns which are singular in form but plural in meaning take plural verb;
as –

Correct: According to the present market rate twelve dozen cost rupees two hundred.

Rule: 19 When the subject of the verb is relative pronoun, the relative should be referred
to its true antecedent (forerunner) or antecedents to regulate the number and
person of that verb accordingly; as –

Incorrect: Shakespeare was one of the greatest geniuses that has ever lived.

Correct: Shakespeare was one of the greatest geniuses that have ever lived.

Incorrect: It is the scent and beauty of the rose which makes it the prince of flowers.

Correct: It is the scent and beauty of the rose which make it the prince of flowers.

Rule: 20 If two different subjects are intended by the same word we should neither have
one of them left out and implied nor put the verb in singular; as –

Incorrect: The ideals of a man and boy are not identical.

Correct: The ideals of a man and those of a boy are not identical.

Incorrect: A rise in wages and rents has been found to go together.

Correct: A rise in wages and a rise in rents have been found to go together.

Rule: 21 (A) When the verb comes before its subject it may agree with the first only and be
understood of the rest; as –

Correct: (a) Here is described the charm and loveliness of the Shrinagar valley.

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 4

 (b) Such was the tact, intelligence and heroism of the leader.

Rule: 22 (B) When the verb separates its subject it may agree with the first only and be
understood of the rest; as –

Correct: (a) There was the roar of the river, the thunder of lightning and the cries of
men and women.

Rule: 23 If the subjunctive mood expresses a ‘wish’ or ‘supposion’, the verb is plural; as

Correct: (a) If he were you, he should not do it.

(b) I wish I were a king.

N.B.- Subjunctive equivalents are formed by using the auxiliaries ‘may’, ‘might’,
‘should’, ‘would’.

Rule: 24 When the adjectives ‘much’, ‘more’, ‘little’ and ‘less’ are used as nouns they
must be followed by a singular verb; as –

Correct: (a) Much of what he has said, has been said by many other.

(b) More than a month has passed since he left Agra.

(c) A little of courtesy makes our life sweet.

(d) Less than a million of tones is produced every year.

Rule: 25 Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement; as –

Correct: The colours of the rainbow are beautiful.

Rule: 26 The only time when the object of the preposition factors into the decision of
plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like ‘some’,
‘half’, ‘none’, ‘more’, ‘all’, etc. are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these
sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb; as –

Correct: (a) All of the chicken is gone.

(b) All of the chicken are gone.

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 5

Rule: 27 When sentences starts with ‘there’ or ‘here’, the subject will always be placed
after the verb; as –

Correct: (a) There is a problem with the balance sheet.

(b) Here are the papers you required.

Rule: 28 Indefinite pronoun (everybody, everyone, someone, somebody…) typically

takes singular verbs; as –

Correct: Everybody wants to be loved.

Rule: 29 If two infinitives are separated by ‘and’ they take the plural always take the
plural form; as –

Correct: To drive and to talk on mobile require great skill.

Rule: 30 When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence they take the singular verb
form of the verb, but when they are linked by ‘and’ they take the plural form;
as –

Correct: (a) Standing in the water was a bad idea.

(b) Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.

Rule: 31 Usually, the verb comes after its subject but the following are the exceptions:

(a) Interrogative sentences:

Have you done your work?

(b) Imperative sentences (Here, however, the subject is usually omitted):

Come here and do it.

(c) Optative sentences:

Long live our king!

(d) Certain conditional sentences:

Had you been present there, you would have received his blessings.

(e) To report a speech in direct narration; as –

“Agreed”, said my friend, “we will start tomorrow.”

(f) When a sentence is introduced by an adverb or adverbial phrase:

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 6

 Scarcely ha he finished his speech when the shot was fired.

(g) When it is introduced by ‘neither’ or ‘nor’:

Neither did he agree, nor did I.

(h) When the complement is placed before the verb for the sake of
emphasis:

Great is he who dies in the service of his motherland.

Rule: 32 Verbs such as ‘name’, ‘consider’, ‘think’, ‘call’, ‘term’ are not followed by ‘as’:

Incorrect: I think him as mad.

Correct: I think him mad.

Incorrect: She called him as a fool.

Correct: She called him a fool.

Rule: 33 Verbs such as ‘regard’, ‘represent’, ‘define’, ‘describe’, ‘portray’, ‘treat’,

‘mention’ and ‘depict’ are always followed by ‘as’; as –

Incorrect: He regards me his elder brother.

Correct: He regards me as his elder brother.

Rule: 34 When a clause expresses ‘purpose‘the verb in it is preceded by the conjunction

‘that’, ‘so that’ or ‘lest’ (that not). The auxiliary verbs usually used after ‘that’ or
‘so that’ are ‘may’ or ‘might’ and ‘should‘ after ‘lest’; as –

Correct: (a) I shall keep my word that you may not be received.

(b) Work hard lest you should fail.

EXERCISES
CHOOSE THE RIGHT VERB OR VERB PHRASE AND FILL IN THE BLANK IN EACH SENTENCE:

1. More than one party member WERE involved in cross-voting.

2. Vinay and Murthy GO swimming at weekends.

3. My friend and colleague, Vinay, GOES swimming at weekends.

4. Both the kitchen and the dining room FACES due south.

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 7

5. The kitchen (and of course the dining room) FACE due south.

6. Ether Saturday or Sunday IS OK by me.

7. Neither the boys nor the girls HAS done well in the English exam.

8. Either your eyesight or your brakes WAS at fault.

9. Either your brakes or your eyesight WAS at fault.

10. There WERE fish and chips for lunch.

11. Lemon and soda WERE the favourite drink at the party.

12. Bread and butter WERE all we had.

13. Not only Latika but also some of her friends ARE coming to the wedding.

14. Not only her friends but also Latika herself IS coming to the wedding.

15. Ten kilometres ARE too far to walk.

16. Five hundred rupees SEEM a reasonable price.

17. ‘Star Wars’ WAS a very successful film.

18. ‘Bhima and Brothers’ IS a famous jewellery shop in Rajkot.

19. The United States WANT to increase military assistance to India.

20. The Seychelles LIES in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

21. The Solomon Islands IS a nation-state.

22. The United Nations ARE unable to act.

23. India IS through to the world-cup final.

24. The crowd WAS in a cheerful mood.

25. The crowd WAS seen running in all directions.

26. The crowd WHICH has gathered here IS getting restive.

27. The crowd who has gathered here IS getting restive.

28. The audience WAS requested to be in their seats 15 minutes before the start of the
show.

29. The class CONSISTS of 25 girls and 15 boys.

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 8

30. The class DOESN’T understand what the teacher is saying.

31. A number of dignitaries WAS present.

32. A number of dignitaries WAS much greater than we had expected.

33. The goods WERE found to be defective.

34. Statistics WAS my best subject at college.

35. The statistics IS available on the Internet.

36. The company’s headquarters WERE easy to find.

37. These pair of trousers NEED cleaning.

38. These trousers NEED cleaning.

39. None of the pupils HAS fail the test.

40. I don’t know I either of these batteries ARE any good.

41. Who WANT coffee?

42. What HAS happened?

43. What/Which day IS convenient?

44. What/Which days ARE convenient?

45. Which of you ARE willing to take part?

46. Paul as well as Latika IS to blame for what happened.

47. The heavy school curriculum, along with frequent tests and the sessional exam,
IMPOSE a burden on the students.

48. The minister, together with his aides, WERE seen leaving the hall in a huff.

49. Peas IS my favourite vegetable.

50. My favourite vegetables ARE peas.

51. The rhythm of the pounding waves IS calming.

52. All of the dogs in the neighbourhood WERE barking.

53. A high tax, not to mention unemployment, INFLUENCES votes.

54. My friends and my mother LIKE each other.

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 9

55. The team and the band WERE on the field.

56. Building a good marriage and building a good log fire ARE similar in many ways.

57. John or Doris WRITES to us regularly.

58. Neither Carol nor Ted IS excluded from the meeting.

59. Either Patty or Tom WAS asked to lead the meeting.

60. Neither the basket nor the apples WERE expensive.

61. Neither the apples nor the basket WERE expensive.

62. Either Mira or you WAS late for class.

63. Either you or Mira WAS late for class.

64. Hardest hit by the high temperatures and the drought WERE the farmers.

65. Neither of them LIKE going to the show.

66. Each of them HAVE a good seat.

67. Everybody in the class HAS tickets.

68. Every silver knife, fork, and spoon HAVE to be counted.

69. Each cat and each dog HAVE its own toy.

70. The committee IS meeting today.

71. Ten million gallons of oil ARE a lot of oil.

72. The jury VOTES today.

73. The number ARE very small.

74. A number of students WAS absent.

75. Ten million gallons of oil WAS spilled.

76. The majority of us IS in favour.

77. Statistics IS an interesting subject.

78. Statistics IS often misleading.

79. The sheep STRAYS when the gate is left open.

80. Sheep STRAY when the gate is left open.

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 10

Subject-Verb Agreement Page 11