T.K.S.

SENIOR SECONDARY PUBLIC SCHOOL

Here is a brief list of 10 suggestions for subject-verb agreement.

1. A subject made up of nouns joined by and takes a plural subject, unless
that subject’s intended sense is singular.
She and I run every day.
Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich. (intended sense of singular)

2. When a subject is made up of nouns joined by or, the verb agrees with
the last noun.
She or I run every day.
Potatoes, pasta, or rice goes well with grilled chicken. (last noun: rice)

3. Collective nouns (team, couple, staff, etc.) take a singular verb.

The football team is practicing night and day for the Super Bowl.
Boston’s school committee disagrees about what to cut from the school
budget.

4. Connectives, phrases such as combined with, coupled with, accompanied

by, added to, along with, together with, and as well as, do not change the
number of the subject. These phrases are usually set off with commas.
Oil, as well as gas, is a popular heating choice.
Peanut butter combined with bread and jelly is a tasty snack.
(Here, the peanut butter, bread, and jelly are one unit, a sandwich, so no
commas are needed and we keep the singular verb.)

5. Collecting noun phrases (a bunch of, a group of, a set of, etc.) take a
singular verb.
A set of 12 dishes is all you need for the dinner party.

6. “Each” takes a singular verb. . If one of the words "each," "every," or

"no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular.
Each boy is excited about the meet; each is well prepared.
No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check in.

7. “None” takes a singular verb if what it refers to is singular and a plural

verb if its referent is plural.
None of the book is reproducible without permission.
 None of the peas are left on Sean’s plate. (“peas” is the referent and is
*plural)

8. With fractions, the verb agrees with the noun.

One-fourth of the books are gone. (“books” is a plural noun)
One-fourth of the sand is white. (“sand” is a singular noun)

9. With money, if the amount is specific, use a singular verb; if the amount
is vague, use a plural verb.
Within a year, $5 million was spent on building a new factory, and millions
more were spent on training future factory workers. (“$5 million” is a
specific amount. Therefore the verb is singular.)
Funds are allocated each year to help medical research. (“Funds” is a vague
term rather than a specific amount. Therefore, the verb is plural.)

10. The phrase “more than one” takes a singular verb.

More than one box is sitting in the hallway.
More than one car was involved in the race.

11 If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are
connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not
only/but also," use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.
Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

12. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).
Everybody wants to be loved.

13. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns "few," "many,"
"several," "both," "all," and "some." These always take the plural form.
Few were left alive after the flood.

14. If two infinitives are separated by "and," they take the plural form of the
verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
 15. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular
form of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural
form.
Standing in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies
16. Some words, such as news, measles, mumps, physics, etc. are extremely
deceptive. They end in -s and appear to be plural but are really singular and
require singular verbs.
Examples:The news from across the border is not encouraging.