Subject verb agreement

A verb agrees with its subject in number.

• Singular subjects must take singular verbs. Plural subjects take plural verbs.
Eg : The car stays in the garage.
• The cars stay in the garage.
• My brother is a nutritionist.
• My sisters are doctors.
•When two or more singular nouns joined by and , usually takes plural verb .
Eg : Ravi and John are friends.
A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
Sally and Sam ride their bikes to school.
Carrots and peas are gross
If two singular subjects refer to the same person or thing, the verb must be
singular.
• Eg: The director and actor is dead.
• The great scholar and poet is coming.
• The District Magistrate and the Collector are on leave today
• If two subjects together express one idea, the verb should be singular.
Eg: Time and tide waits for none.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Rice and curry is my favourite dish
• If two singular subjects (combined by and) are preceded by each or every,
the verb should be in the singular.
Eg: Every boy and girl was present in the class yesterday.
Each and every hour is important in everyone’s life.
If two or more subjects are joined by or , nor, either ……..or, neither……nor,
not only ....... but also’ takes singular verb
Eg: Either james or John is to be promoted .
Either the man or his wife knows the answer.
Either the man or his friends know the answer.
Neither the man nor his wife has done much work.
No boy or girl is allowed to play in school.
Either you or I am responsible for this mistake.
• If one subject is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the second
subject.
Eg: Neither the television nor the radios work
Neither the radios nor the television works.
• Collective nouns, take singular verbs. In some cases they are plural if the
sentence indicates that the individual members are acting separately. Eg :
company, group, committee, crowd, jury, flock, team
Eg : The committee is against the plan. (acting collectively-singular)
The committee are of different opinion. (acting individually - plural)
The crew is very large.
The crew were rescued.
• If two subjects are combined by with, together with, as well as, accompanied by
etc the verb agrees with the subject mentioned first.
Eg : The President of India together with his personal secretaries is invited to this
function
Ram along with his friends starts the journey.
My Dad, as well as my brothers, is enjoying the party.
Mr. Micheal, accompanied by wife and children is arriving tonight by train .
• The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, , anyone, anybody, none, nobody, someone
somebody, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.
Eg : Each of these hot dogs is juicy.
Everybody knows Mr. Jones.
Either is correct.
Either of them has not arrived.
Nobody has done it.
Everybody wants to be someone.
None of the counterfeit money has been found
• Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are
always singular.
Eg : The grapes of wrath takes a long time to read.
The wings of fire is an autobiography of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
• Subjects followed by one of the always takes singular verb.
Eg:
Mary is one of the students who has done honor to the college.
• Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The
verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
Eg : One of the boxes is open
The people who listen to that music are few.
The team captain, as well as his players, is anxious.
The book, including all the chapters in the first section, is boring.
The woman with all the dogs walks down my street.
• The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody,
anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a
singular verb.
Eg : Each of these hot dogs is juicy.
Everybody knows Mr. Jones.
Either is correct.
• Certain nouns, appears to be plural in form, but singular in meaning and
therefore take singular verbs.(civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and
news)
Eg : Mathematics is my favorite subject.
The latest news is alarming to the public.
• Expressions of time, money, weight, and distance are singular even if the
form is plural.
Eg : Ten minutes is allowed for every students for their presentation.
Fifty kilometers is a long distance for the cyclists.
Hundred rupees is a small amount for him.
• Several, many, both, few are plural words and take a plural verb.
• Eg : Both are happy with the grades they got.
• Many were lost on the way.
• Few have done their homework.