Subject – Verb

Agreement
 Rule # 1
When the subject of a PRESENT
TENSE VERB is in SINGULAR noun,
the verb needs an –s ending.

O The stenographer takes dictation.

O The secretary types the letter.
 If the present tense verb has a plural noun for a
subject, the verb gets no –S ending.

O Stenographers take dictation.

O Secretaries type letters.

Either there is an S- on the verb, or there is an S- on

the subject.

O My vacation seems short.

O Our vacations seem short.
 If a singular noun has a natural S at the end,
it doesn’t really have an S- ending with it.
E.g. while the verb need an S ending.

O The boss means business.

O The bosses mean business.
 Exercise:

O Local government (offer, offers) many job opportunities.

O Cities (hire, hires) policemen.

O Sanitation workers (clean, cleans) the streets.

O The mayor’s salary (come, comes) from the government.

O Each one of the citizens (are, is) actually an employer.

O We (travel, travels) by various means.

 Rule # 2
O Verb ‘to be’ is an irregular verb,
so we can’t just add an S- ending
or not. The S-forms and the non
S-forms are completely different
words (is and are).
O One bookkeeper is not enough.
O Two bookkeepers are enough.
O One executive was working on the deal.
O Several executives were working on the deal.

‘Am’ (the fifth form of verb ‘to be’) is used

only with the subject ‘I’.
 Exercise:
O Recession (is, are) a serious economic problem.

O Because of it, companies (is, are) closing down.

O Workers (is, are) being laid off.

O Home owners (is, are) having difficulty meeting

mortgage payments.

O Banks (was, were) paying higher interest rates than

they are now.
 Rule # 3

O Two singular subjects connected

by or or nor require a singular verb.

Example:
O My aunt or my uncle is arriving by
train today.
 Rule #4
Sometimes the subject is separated from the
verb by words such as along with, as well as,
besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when
determining whether to use a singular or plural
verb.

Examples:
O The politician, along with the newsmen, is
expected shortly.
O Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the
cause
of her shaking.
 Rule #5
In terms of subject-verb agreement,
compound subjects (nouns connected by
‘and’) are considered plural.
means
Their present tense verbs do not take S-
endings; they take plural verbs.
O The desk is mine.
O The chair is mine.
But
O The desk and chair are mine.

(Neither noun nor subject has an S-ending on it.

Verb doesn’t have an S-ending either).

Connecting nouns with ‘and’; the subject is now

two things.
O One of basic sentence patterns include a COMPOUND
SUBJECT:
O S and S V.
(the whole subject consists of two nouns connected by the word and)

The use of ‘and’ alone tells us not to put an S-ending on the verb.

• The treasurer and her two assistants work hard.

• The typewriters and adding machine need repair.

• All sales representatives and their families are invited to the

company picnic.
Exercise:
O My salary and benefits (satisfy, satisfies) me.

O Ten vacation days and twelve holidays (are, is) allowed

off.

O My insurance (cover, covers) all kinds of emergencies.

O Medical bills and dental expanses (are, is) included.

O I even (has, have) life insurance.

O My work and its returns (are, is) quite rewarding.

 Rule # 6
O when the nouns in a subject are
connected by OR/NOR, the verb
agrees with the nearest
noun/subject.
 My secretary or my assistant screens my
calls.
But
O My secretary or my assistants screen my
calls.

O Either your bills or our records are in error.

 Exercise:
O Neither I nor my partner (recall, recalls) your order.

O Friends or parents (are, is) of course helpful.

O But your career choice or specialization (do, does) not

necessarily coincide with theirs.

O An ambitious self-starter (make, makes) his or her own

contacts.

O Summertime or after school jobs (help, helps) build up

resumes.
 Rule # 7
Who, Which, That:
when the subordinators who, which, & that are
used in one of basic sentence patterns:
S V (subordinator) S V
They work both as a
1. Subordinator
2. Subject (of a verb)
O I am studying accounting, which I find difficult.
O I am studying accounting which is difficult for
me.

In the 1st sentence which connecting two subject-

verb cores.

In the 2nd, which – subject for the verb is.

Thus, assumes the pronoun form standing for
accounting.
 Points to Remember
O Which, who, that are neither singular nor
plural.

O When they’re the subject of a present tense

verb, the S- depends on the “real” noun to
which the subordinator/pronoun refers.

O Therefore, we need “is” because which is

referring to the singular noun “accounting”.
O Sometimes position of the subordinator may
be changed. For instance,
O The salesman whom I hired expresses
himself clearly.
O The salesman who expresses himself clearly
pleases the customer.

Basically, check the real noun for which these

subordinators are used before deciding
whether or not the verb needs an S-ending.
 Exercise:
1. Accounting is one of the major fields which (offer,
offers) many opportunities.
2. The many factors that have led to the growth of
accounting (include, includes) the expansion of
corporate activity and the complex tax structure.
3. The professional who (supply, supplies) these services
is called an accountant.
4. She evaluates book keeping records, which (show,
shows) the progress or decline of a business.
5. Such certification, which (are, is) government
controlled, requires the passing of an examination.
 Rule #8
Use a singular verb with sums of money or
periods of time.

Examples:
O Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
O Five years is the maximum sentence for that
offense.
 Rule #9
Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either
singular or plural depending on their use in the
sentence.

Examples:
O The staff is in a meeting.
(Staff is acting as a unit here.)
O The staff are in disagreement about the findings.
(The staff are acting as separate individuals in this
example.)
The sentence would read even better as:
O The staff members are in disagreement about the
findings.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
O These are a group of pronouns that do
not point out a specific person or thing.

O Present a problem when used as a

subject.

O INDEFINITE PRONOUNS can be divided

into three smaller groups, according to
whether they’re singular or plural.
Singular Indefinite Pronoun
O Singular indefinite pronoun require an S-
ending on their verbs.
O They are:
another, little, every, each, much
(all except every can be used alone)
O Little remains to be done.
O Little work remains to be done.
(as work has no S-ending.)
O Every person in the room has to go.

O (same goes with each)

O Much money is required to start a new

business.
O Combination indefinite pronouns that are singular.
Attach any one on the left to any one on the right, and
you come up with a SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUN.

O Some one
O Every body
O Any thing
O No
O Somebody has borrowed my slide rule.
O Nothing is impossible.
Plural Indefinite Pronoun
O Five indefinite pronouns are always
plural. Therefore, they require no S-
ending on the verb.
Both, few, many, several, others

O Few recognize the importance of

perseverance.
O Many give up too readily
Variable Indefinite Pronoun
O The last group is tricky because they are
variable.
all, most, none, some

O These can be singular or plural depending

on the “real” noun to which they refer.

* Some coffee is left.

* Some employees are leaving.
(The noun is clear.)
O Sometimes the real noun is omitted or
mentioned previously.
* The responsibility is all yours.
* None is mine.
And
* These books belong to you.
* None are mine.
O Deciding whether or not to use an S-ending.

O If you can count the real noun that an indefinite pronoun is

referring to, do not give the verb an S-ending.

O If you must measure the real noun, do give the verb an S-

ending.

• Coffee must be measured, so it’s singular & requires S-ending

on verb.
• Employees can be counted, so the subject is plural.
 Irregular Nouns
O Many English nouns are irregular. E.g.
Three “people” pronouns;
man
woman
child
O The man seems tired.
O The woman is concerned.
O The child sleeps.
O But
O Men ---------- work hard.
O Women ----- contribute equally.
O Children ---- learn to play.
Some plurals are made with a complete vowel
change.
foot feet
mouse mice
O The fields of study/branches of knowledge are taken
as singular:
Mathematics
Linguistics
Economics
Singular Plural

Crisis Crises

Analysis Analyses

Stimulus Stimuli

Cactus Cacti

Medium Media

Datum Data

Criterion Criteria

Phenomenon Phenomena
 Exercise:
1. Our program director feels that the Navy(offer, offers)
good opportunity.
2. Many (feel, feels) that military is good experience for
everyone.
3. Her staff (agree, agrees) with her.
4. The majority (are, is) less certain.
5. Neither of the two principals on the list of candidates
(has, have) asked to be considered for the district
superintendent's position.
6. A series of opinions (have, has) been expressed.
7. Every one of the flowers in our garden (was, were) killed
during the recent hard freeze.
8. Each of the cars had (its, their) headlights dimmed in the
thick fog.
9. None of the perfume leaked out of (its, their) bottle.
10. Either of the desks (is, are) suitable for the president's
new office.
1. Each of the seventeen department heads (is, are)
required to submit a year-end budget report.
2. Neither of the star players (were, was) on the roster
for the championship game because both of them
were injured
3. Each of you (has, have) something unique to offer
this organization.
4. Either of the magnet school programs (is, are)
suitable for children gifted in mathematics.
5. Every one of the two hundred letters (was, were)
signed personally by the executive director.
6. Only one of the contestants (has, have) qualified.
7. All of the trouble between the farmers and the
miners (was, were) the result of a misunderstanding.