SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

BASIC RULE:

Singular subjects must have

singular verbs.
Plural subjects take plural
verbs.
BASIC RULE:
Singular subject always goes with singular verb ( is, am,
was, and s form)

Examples:
• Coach Rhett is our P.E teacher.

Subject Verb

•He teaches us football this quarter.

Subject verb (s-form)

BASIC RULE:
Plural subject always takes a plural a plural verb ( are,
were, and base form)

Examples:

• My classmates love P.E time.

Subject Verb (base form)

• My seatmates are the members of my team.

Subject verb
 BASIC RULE:
Singular Plural

First person (I) am (we) are

Second person (you) are (you) are

Third person (he/she/it) is (they) are

BASIC RULE:
Subject Be verbs Has/Have/Had Do/Does/Did Other verbs
I Am Have (present) Did (Past) Run
Paint
Dance
Catch
Ride
You Are Have (present)
We Had (Past) Did (Past) Run
They Paint
Dance
Catch
Ride
He Is Has (present)
She Had (past) Runs
It Paints
Dances
Catches
Rides
BASIC RULE:
1. If two subjects are joined by and the verb will be
plural. However, if the two subjects refer to the
same person or thing the verb will be singular.

1. Mehak and Riya are good friends.

2. Rajma and rice are my favourite.
3. Nia and her friends are going for shopping
today.
4. Pihu and Reshma like the chocolate flavour ice-
cream.
5. Trisha and Sneha is going for shopping.
BASIC RULE:
2. Collective nouns always have a singular verb.

1. A team of basketball
2. A bouquet of flower

3. Indefinite pronouns such as no one, everyone,

everything, anyone, and someone are always used as
singular.

3. Everyone in the class has participated in the annual

function.
BASIC RULE:
4. Some and all can be singular or plural. If the subject is
an uncountable noun we use a singular verb and if the
subject has a countable noun we use plural verb.

1. He had some sugar in my tea.

2. There are some students left outside in the class.

5. Sometimes the subject comes after the verb in which

the verb is dependent on the subject is singular and
plural.

3. There are mangoes in the basket.

4. Here is the toy he was looking for.
BASIC RULE:
2. Collective nouns always have a singular verb.

1. A team of basketball
2. A bouquet of flower

3. Indefinite pronouns such as no one, everyone,

everything, anyone, and someone are always used as
singular.

3. Everyone in the class has participated in the annual

function.
Plurals in English Grammar

• To make a noun plural, we add –s

• Singular: girl
• Plural: girls
• To make a verb plural, we take away
the –s.
• Singular: he talks
• Plural: they talk
Watch the Verb Endings!

Singular Plural
• I walk • We walk
• You walk • You walk
• He/She/It walk s • They walk
• Joe walk s • Joe and Maria walk
• The girl walk s • The girls walk
Remember there are irregular verbs:

• DO
Singular Plural
• He does They do

• HAVE
• She has They have

• BE
• He is They are
• She was They were
Tip for Subject/verb Agreement

Generally, if the subject doesn’t

end in –S, the verb will.

If the subject does end in –S,

the verb won’t.
 No –S on
subject

-S on
verb
The girl dances.
 -S on
subject

The girls dance.

No –S
on verb
Multiple subjects joined by “and”

• If there are two or more subjects joined

by and, the subject must be plural, so
the verb will not get an “s”.
No –S on
Example verb
• The boy and the girl dance.
(= They dance.)
Indefinite Pronouns
•Some indefinite pronouns are always singular. Here
are some examples: anyone, everyone, someone, no
one, nobody
•Others can be either singular or plural (all, some)
• Everybody loves grammar!
• Some people love grammar.
 Relative Pronouns
Relative Pronouns (who/which/that) can be
either singular or plural, depending on the
word they refer to.

• The student who works hard will succeed.

• The students who work hard will succeed.

 Helpful hints
Sometimes, several words come between the subject
and the verb. Just take out the phrase in the middle
to see whether or not the subject and verb agree.

 The student, though she had lots of problems in

other schools, finds/find (?) her new class easy.
 The student, though she had lots of problems
in other schools, finds her new class easy.
 The student finds her new class easy.
BASIC RULE:
Choose the correct verb that agrees with the subject.

Rita’s favourite ________ English while Pihu’s favourite subject ________ Maths. (is/ are)
Each participant ________ their own dress. (have/has)
The furniture of the house ________ impressive. (is/are)
Only some friends ________ join us at the party. (will/are)
My friend ________ leaving for Pune next week. (are/is)
All the students ________ excited to visit the museum. (are/is)
Either Myra or Sneha ________ telling lie. (are/is)
They ________ arrived to the station on time. (has/have)
Priyansh ________ both German and Spanish. (speak/speaks)
There ________ a big snake behind the grass. (was/were)
Joseph ________ to buy a new car. (wants /wants)
The girls ________ not allowed in the hall. (was/were
The child plays ________ a ball outside. (were/with)
The teacher gave ________ to the students. (marks/mark)
My mother ________ a beautiful dress for me. (buy/buys)
Reena always helps ________ mother in the kitchen. (his/her)
He ________ to play tennis with his friends. (likes/like)
Naina ________ a bucket of water on his brother. (threw/throw)
The cat ________ under the table. (slept/sleep)
He ________ not complete his work on time. (Do/ does)