SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

The English language has many examples of certain items that are often thought as going
together certain other items. One may hear about pencil and paper, bread and butter, track
and field, rice and fish, etc. Standard English Grammar also has its famous go-together: singular
subject a singular verb, plural subject and plural verb. In any sentence, the subject and the verb
must match or “agree” in number.

A. PRESENT TENSE VERB FORMS

Rule 1. A present tense verb form agrees with the subject noun or pronoun of the
sentence. Use a singular verb form with singular noun subjects and with the pronoun
subjects he, she, and it.

She watches.
The child is on the waiting lists.

Rule 2. Use a plural verb form with the plural noun subjects and with the pronoun
subjects: I, you, we, and they.

The professors have an academic meeting.

The people are on the waiting list.
They run swiftly.

B. INTERVIEWING WORDS AND PHRASES

Rule 3. A verb form agrees with the subject whether the verb comes next to the
subject or is separated from it by other words. Such words and phrases do not change
the number of the subject. Be sure to make the verb agree in the number with the
subject, not with some words in the intervening phrases.

Incorrect: Mark’s attention to time and efficiency deserve favorable consideration.

Correct: Mark’s attention (subject) to time and efficiency deserves favorable

consideration.

Incorrect: Thinking about the typhoon’s strong winds give her nightmares already.

Correct: Thinking (subject) about the typhoon’s strong winds gives her
nightmares already.

*Sometimes subjects are followed by phrases set off with commas.

These phrases, which begin with words and expressions: like, as well, along
with, and together with, also do not affect the normal subject-verb relationship.