Subject

Verb
Agreement
 Ramesh plays cricket.

Shilpa is reading story.

RULE 1 (A)

If Subject is ‘singular’, ‘singular’ Verb will be used

 Students play cricket.

Girls are reading story.

RULE 1 (B)

If Subject is ‘plural’, ‘plural’ Verb will be used

 Ram and Shyam are coming.

RULE 2 (A)

If proper nouns are joined by ‘and‘,

the plural verb will be used.
 1. The Director and Producer has come.

2. A white and black gown was bought by her.

3. Churchil was a great orator and politician of his time.

RULE 2 (B-1)
If an article is placed just before the 1st
subject, it means the person/thing is the
same for which two nouns are used.
Hence singular verb will be used.
 1. The Director and The Producer have come.

2. A white and a black gown were bought by her.

RULE 2 (B-2)

If an article is used before every subject, it

refers to different people/things.
Hence plural verb will be used.
 1. My friend, philosopher and guide has come.
2. Slow and steady wins the race.
3. Fish and chips is my favourite dish.

RULE 3 (A)

If two or more than two nouns are

adjectives and joined by ‘and’ but only person
or thing or idea is discussed singular verb will
be used.
 Poverty and misery come together.

Honesty and Sincerity are required to be successful.

RULE 3 (B)

If two uncountable nouns are joined

by ‘and‘, plural verb will be used.
 1. Ram, as well as his parents, is coming.
2. The captain along with the sailors was drowned.
3. My father, unlike my uncles, is very strict.
4. Team members with coach have reached.
5. Captain together with his team members has reached.
6. Ramesh besides his friends is guilty.
7. Society members rather than Mahesh are sincere.

RULE 4
RULE 4
If the subject is joined by ‘as well as’,
‘with’, ‘along with’, ‘together with’,
‘In addition to’, ‘besides’, ‘except’,
‘rather than’, ‘accompanied by’, ‘like’,
‘unlike’, ‘no less than’, ‘nothing but’,
the verb will agree with the first
subject.
 1. Neither students nor teacher has come.
2. Either Ram or his friends have come.
3. Has Ram or Shyam come?

RULE 5

If two subjects are joined by ‘neither….nor’,

‘either….or’, ‘not only….but also’, ‘nor’, ‘or’,
‘none-but’, the verb will agree with the nearest
subject.
 1. Neither of his two sons looked after him.
2. None of his four sons looked after him.

RULE 6 (A)

‘Neither of’ means ‘not either of the two things

or people’.
‘None of’ means ‘not one of the groups of
things or people’.
 1. Either of the twins will be made the trustee.

RULE 6 (B)

‘Either of’ means ‘one of the two things

or people’.
 1. Mathematics is an interesting subject
2. Politics is not my cup of tea.

RULE 7 (A)

Certain nouns are plural in form but

singular in meaning. Hence they
take singular verb.
Names List
Names of diseases Measles, Mums etc.
Names of games Billiards, Darts, Draughts etc.
Names of countries The United States, The West Indies, etc.
Names of books The Arabian Nights, Three Musketeers, etc.
Names of subjects Physics, Economics, Civics, Statistics,
Politics, Linguistics, Mathematics, etc..
 1. Statics have revealed multiple scams in the
organisation of the Commonwealth Games.

RULE 7 (B)

If ‘Statics’ means ‘data’ and 

‘Mathematics’ means ‘Calculation’, plural
verb is used.
 1. The quality of apples is good.

2. He and not his parents is guilty.

3. The appeal of the victims for the transfer of the cases

related to riots to some other states has been accepted.

RULE 8
Verb will agree with the main subject
of the sentence.
 1. The herd of cows is grazing in the field.

2. The committee has unanimously taken its decision.

RULE 9

Collective noun always takes a

singular verb.
 1. Hundred boys are in my class.

2. Eleven players are in my team.

RULE 10 (A)

The plural number will always take

a plural verb.
 1. Hundred rupees is in my pocket.

2. Ten miles is a long distance to cover on foot.

RULE 10 (B)

The plural numbers used as
a singular unit will take a singular
verb.
 1. Each student has come.

2. Each boy each girl has come.

3. One must tolerate one’s friend as well as one’s enemy.

4. More than one man was present there.

RULE 11 (A)
RULE 11 (A)

One, Each, Every, Everyone, Someone,

Everybody, Somebody, Nobody, Any,
Many a, None, More than one, are
singular. Hence they will take
a singular verb, singular
noun, and singular pronoun.
 1. Many a student has come.

2. Many students have come.

RULE 11 (B)
‘Many a’ is used as singular and will take
singular verb.

‘Many’ is used as plural and will take

plural verb.
 1. One of the students has completed his work.

2. One of them has come.

RULE 12
If ‘of‘ is used after each, every, one, etc.
The noun or pronoun that comes immediately
after ‘of‘ will be plural in form. However the
verb, pronoun, adjective, etc. that comes in the
latter part of the sentence will be singular in
form.
 1. We each have a duty towards our nation.

2. They each were responsible for their mistakes.

RULE 13

If ‘each’ is used after Plural noun or

plural pronoun, plural verb is used.
 1. A number of students were present..

2. A large number of Samosas are available in canteen.

RULE 14 (A)
If ‘A number of’ / ‘a large number of’ /
‘a great number of’ is used with plural
countable noun, they will take plural
verb.
 1. The amount of money is not sufficient.

2. The quantity of water is sufficient for all of us.

RULE 14 (B)

If ‘amount of’ / ‘quantity of’ is used

with uncountable nouns, they will
take singular verb.
Thank You !!!