Subject-Verb

Agreement
Basics
Subjects and verbs must agree with one another in number
(singular or plural).  Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb
must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also
be plural.

Dogs chase the cat.

The dog chases the cat.
Subject-Verb Agreement
Rules
1. A phrase or a clause between subject and verb does not
change the number of the subject

The women who went to the meeting were bored.

A can of beans sits on the shelf.

One of the boxes is open.

2. Indefinite pronouns as subjects

Some indefinite
Singular indefinite Plural indefinite
pronouns may be
pronoun subjects take pronoun subjects take
either singular or
singular verb. plural verbs.
plural.
Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs.
each, either, neither, one, no one, nobody, nothing, anyone, anybody, anything, someone, somebody,
something, everyone, everything, everybody

Each does a good deal of work around the office.

Everybody was trying to fix the problem.

Plural indefinite pronoun subjects take plural verbs.

several, both, many, few

Both do a good deal of work around the office.

Some indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural.
 singular with uncountable nouns
 plural with countable

some, any, none, most, all

Some of the sugar is on the floor.

Some of the marbles are on the floor.

3. Compound subjects joined by and are usually plural.
Mike and Jenny love hiking.

Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.

Exeptions
 When both nouns refer to the same subject (person).

The creator and producer is arriving soon.

 Compound nouns

Breaking and entering is against the law.

Corned beef and cabagge is a traditional meal in Ireland.

4. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the
subject nearer to it.

Neither the director nor the actors are following the lines closely.

Neither the actors nor the director is following the lines closely.
5. Inverted subjects must agree with the verb.

Waiter, there is a fly in my soup.

How are the relatives taking the bad news?

6. Collective Nouns may be singular or plural,
depending on meaning.

Words as group, jury, team, crowd, family, audience, population

The jury has awarded custody to the grandmother.

The jury members have been arguing for five days.
7.Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.)
are always singular.

The Grapes of Wrath takes a long time to read.

United States of America consists of 50 states, a federal district, five
self-governing territories, and several other island possessions.
8. Plural form subjects
Mumps is a contagious desease.

Politics is an interesting topic.

The politics of the situation were complicated.

The scissors are on the table.

A pair of scissors is on the table.

Three miles is too far to walk.

Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.

Ten dollars is a high price to pay.

Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.
9. With subject and subjective complement of different number,
the verb agrees with the subject.

My favourite topic is Poems by Longfellow.

Poems by Longfellow are my favourite topic.

10. One of those who/ the only one of those who

Hannah is one of those people who like reading comic books.

Hannah is the only one of those people who likes reading comic books.
11. A number of/ the number of

The number of volunteers grows each year.

A number of people grow tomatoes each summer.

12. Every/ many a

Every man, woman and child participates in the lifeboat drill.

Many a child dreams to be famous one day.

Exercises
Thank you!