SUBJECT & VERB AGREEMENT

Example:
The student is in uniform every Monday.
Every person takes one mask at the gate
The students are in uniforms every Monday.
People take masks at the gate.
General rules:
Singular subjects take singular verbs.
Plural subjects take plural verbs.
Ms. Avery has the authority.
(sing. S) (sing. V)
These documents are to be sent immediately.
(pl. S) (pl. V)
 Forms of singular verbs and plural verbs

S (plural) : We, you, they, Noun (plural), I

V (plural): V1 , are, were, have, do

S (singular): He, she, It, N (singular + uncountable N)

V (singular): V-s, V-es, is, was, has, does

 Subject + [modifier] + verb
The ideas made by Mr. Brown ……….. so good for us.
(be)

The ideas made by Mr. Brown were so good for us.

The ideas made by Mr. Brown were so good for us.

“made by Mr. Brown” is a modifier of subject
Sometimes a subject can be followed immediately by a
modifier and it doesn’t not alter the number of the subject.

A modifier may be :
a prepositional phrase (with, along with, together with ...),
a participial phrase,
a to-infinitive phrase,
or a relative clause.
 Subject + [modifier] + verb
1 was
. The ranking list [of the world's top 50 universities] _______
in today's newspaper.
[modifier] - a prepositional phrase
are
2. The office supplies [to be used for the presentation] _____
kept in the second cabinet.
[modifier] - a to-infinitive phrase
3. The main reason [why the new product failed to appeal to
was
customers] __________ not its price, but its quality.
[modifier] - a relative clause.
 Agreement in number between an antecedent and
the verb in a relative clause
have
Please make calls to the customers on the list who _______
not visited our website since June.

The antecedent of who is the customers, which is in plural,

so the verb should be in plural

The verb in a relative clause must agree in number with the

antecedent of the subjective relative pronoun.
 Subjects that are always take singular
verbs
Some subject combinations always take a singular verb in spite of
their plural meaning or seemingly plural form.
Determiners / indefinite pronouns as subjects
[every / each] + singular noun + singular verb
[one of / each one of / either of / neither of] + plural noun +
singular verb
[every / some / any / no] + [one / body / thing] + singular verb

Noun clauses / gerunds / to-infinitives as subjects + singular verb

[every / each] + singular noun + singular verb
Every student takes exams for each course.
[one of / each one of / either of / neither of] + plural noun +
singular verb
One of students takes the equipment for our class.
[every / some / any / no] + [one / body / thing] + singular verb
Everyone is waiting for the last bus.

Noun clauses / gerunds / to-infinitives as subjects + singular verb

Learning English is not difficult if you practice it every day.
What I have done is only for you.
Others:
Nouns denoting prices / weights / periods of time / proper nouns /
names/ Names of subjects of subjects as subjects
Although some nouns may have plural forms, they always take
singular verbs.
Two million dollars is too expensive to pay for it.
[prices]
Six weeks is needed to finish IC3 level.
[periods of time]
Economics is the study of the management of the production,
distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
[Name of subject]
 Note:
When you think of units of time separately, you may use a
plural verb, as in the example below:

Three weeks have passed since the deadline.

[units of time separately]
 Idiomatic expressions
The number of & A number of

The number of students at NTTU is A number of students are from Laos.

increasing.

The real subject is the plural noun

The real subject is the number, so the
verb must be in singular (students), so the verb must be in
plural.

The number of + plural noun A number of + plural noun

+ singular verb. + plural verb
 Subject-verb agreement with correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions:
both A and B
either A or B
neither A nor B
not A but B
not only A but also B
A as well as B
1. Both writing skills and speaking proficiency ________are
required to apply for the position.
The subject consists of A and B, so it must take a plural verb

2. Either his parents or he ________

hasto sign the contract.
In these structures, the verb agrees with its nearest subject- B

(either A or B / neither A nor B / not A but B / not only A but also B)

is well known as a writer.

3. James, as well as his two sons _________

In this structure, the verb agrees with A. (A as well as B)

 The end!
THANK YOU!