Subject-Verb Agreement

Examples, Exercises, and Quiz

FOR STUDENTS , LANGUAGE ARTS

The basic definition of subject-verb agreement is that singular subjects

require singular verbs, and plural subjects require plural verbs. For
example, "The boy runs to the store," and "The boys run to the
store." 

But subject-verb agreement is a tricky grammatical concept to master

due to the number of exceptions, idioms, and special rules you must
memorize. Below is an outline of some special rules that trip up
student writers.

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SUBJECTS THAT TAKE SINGULAR VERBS

1. Two singular nouns and pronouns connected by or,
either/or, or neither/nor must use a singular verb.

Examples:

 The dog or the cat tracks mud into the house.

 Either the waiter or waitress takes your order.
 Neither the student nor the teacher wants to give the speech.
2. The words “nobody, “anyone,” “everyone,” “everybody,”
“someone,” “somebody,” “each,” and “no one” are singular pronouns
and require a singular verb.

Examples:

 Nobody expects another Spanish Inquisition.

 Everyone wants to go to the party.
 Each student hopes to get an A on the test.

3. Units of measure, such as distances, periods of time, and amounts

of money, need a singular verb.

Examples:

 Forty minutes is a long time to sit in traffic.

 One million dollars is a lot of money.
 Twenty-six miles is a long distance to race.

4. Some nouns, such as “group,” “team,” “class,” and “family,” seem

to refer to many people, but are grammatically considered singular.
These are called “collective nouns” and take a singular verb.

Examples:

 My group refuses to work on the class project, so I did it by

myself.
 The football team wins every home game.
 My family wants to visit me when I go to college.

SUBJECTS THAT TAKE PLURAL VERBS

1. Sometimes two singular subjects, joined by the word “and,”
comprise the subject of a sentence. In this case, the verb must be
plural.

 Examples:

 The boy and the girl are hungry.

 Math and science are my favorite subjects.
 Brittany and Susan dance at the studio.

2. There are some exceptions when a noun referring to a single object

ends in -s, but takes a plural verb instead. These will just need to be
memorized as you learn them.

Examples:

 My savings were used to pay off student loans.

 My sunglasses are dirty from the beach.
 My pants are too tight; I need a bigger size.

IT DEPENDS

1. “Here” and “there” are never the subjects of a sentence. Instead,

the subject follows the verb (which will usually be “is,” “are,” “was,”
or “were”).

Examples:

 Here are the cookies! I’ve been looking for them all day.
 There are billions of people in the world, and I still can’t find a
boyfriend.
 There were lions and tigers and bears at the zoo.  
2. Words such as “with,” “including,” “in addition to,” and “as well
as” do not serve the same purpose as “and.”  Put another way, these
words and phrases are not part of the subject and should be ignored
when determining subject-verb agreement. If the subject is singular,
the verb is singular. If the subject is plural, the verb is plural.

Examples:

 The ducks, as well as the geese, enjoy swimming in the lake.

 The students, including Melanie, want to go on a field trip.
 The man, in addition to his wife, saves money for a new house.
3. If a sentence includes a word or phrase in parentheses, the words in
parentheses are not included in the subject of the sentence. Ignore
them, and determine whether to use a singular or plural verb based on
the subject that comes before. Better still, rewrite the sentence to
remove the parentheses.

Examples:

 Josh (and his little sister Ava) enjoys reading Harry Potter.

 The students (and their teachers) were so happy it was summer
vacation.
 The boxer (and his coach) prepares for the match.

4. When you see a phrase with the word “of,” the subject usually
comes before “of.” Common phrases are “each of” and “some of.”

Examples:

 Each of the children want a cookie.

 The committee of students needs a bigger budget.
 A box of chocolates is the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day.
  

 HOME
 REFERENCE
 EXAMPLES
 EXAMPLES OF SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

Examples of Subject
Verb Agreement
7th grade8th grade9th gradeMiddle SchoolHigh SchoolCollege

Subject verb agreement simply means the subject and verb must agree in number.
This means both need to be singular or both need to be plural.

Subject/Verb Agreement Examples

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement (the subject is bolded and the
verb underlined): 
 My dog always growls at the postal carrier.
 Basketballs roll across the floor.
 I don’t understand the assignment.
 These clothes are too small for me.
 Peter doesn’t like vegetables.
Compound Subjects
Compound subjects (two subjects in the same sentence) usually take a plural verb,
unless the combination is treated as singular in popular usage or the two subjects
refer to the same thing or person. Here are some examples of subject verb
agreement with compound subjects:
 Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.
 Neither my dad nor my brothers know how to ski.
 Pepperoni and cheese are great on a pizza.
 Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional meal in Ireland. (popular usage)
 The creator and producer is arriving soon. (both refer to same person)
When using “or” or “nor” in a compound subject containing a singular and plural
subject, the verb agrees with the closest subject. Examples of compound subjects
using or, neither-nor, or either-or include:
 My mom or dad is coming to the play. (singular)
 Neither gray nor white is my favorite color. (singular)
 Either Grandpa or my sisters are going to the park. (closest subject is
plural)
 Either my sisters or Grandpa is going to the park. (closest subject is
singular)
 Neither she nor I am going to college. (closest subject is singular)
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with singular indefinite
pronouns:
 Each gets a trophy for playing.
 Somebody will pay for this.
 Anybody is more fun than you.
 Something is very wrong here.
 Everybody enjoys a good book.
 Nothing has been determined as of yet.
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with plural indefinite pronouns:
 Both are qualified for the job.
 Many went to the beach and got sunburned.
 Few know what it really takes to get ahead.
 Several are already on location.
 Some sugar is required for taste. (sugar is uncountable so singular verb used)
 Most of the cookies were eaten. (cookies are countable so plural verb used)
Midsentence Phrase or Clause
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with a phrase or clause between
the subject and verb:
 A theory of physics ascertains that a body in motion stays in motion.
 A virus in all the company’s computers is a real threat to security.
 The causes of this prevalent disease are bad diet and lack of exercise.
 The couch and chair I got at the store look really nice in here.
 The members of the choir are very happy with the performance.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on meaning. Here are some
examples of subject verb agreement with collective nouns:
 The committee meets here every Thursday. (singular)
 The crowd is getting angry. (singular) 
 The jury has finally reached a decision. (singular)
 The majority rules most of the time. (plural)
 The staff have gone their separate ways for the holidays. (plural)
Inverted Subjects
Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with inverted subjects where
the subject follows the verb:
 There are seven clean plates in the dining room.
 There is a hair in my lasagna.
 Over the rainbow flies a bird.
 How are the employees enjoying the new building?
 A good gift is a gift card.