Course: English Grammar and Composition

Topic:
SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Presented by
Noor Saeed
Session 20-22(Week 4)
Comsats University Wah
Study Scheme for week Four

• First five rules Session 20

• Next five Session 21
• Last five rules 22
Moreover, students will be made go through a quiz and practice
exercise
General Rule :

• The verb must agree with its subject in number and in

person.
Rules
1. A third person singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject and
the singular pronouns I and You take plural verb.

Examples

Singular verb Plural Verb

Plural Verb
a. He works. a. They work.
b. She works. b. I work.
c. John works. c. You work.
2. There is/ There was is followed by a singular noun; there are/ there
were is followed by a plural noun.
Examples Singular pluPlural

There is a rule to follow. There are rules to follow.

 Rule 3
• 3. The singular indefinite pronouns : one , each , everyone, anybody , nothing , nobody ,
everything , anyone , anything, everybody, no one (no) take singular verbs.
• Everybody loves Sally.
• Everything was ready for the party.

Be careful:
In negative clauses, we use pronouns with no-, not pronouns with any-:
Nobody came. (NOT Anybody didn't come.)
We do not use another negative in a clause with nobody, no one or nothing:
Nobody came. (NOT Nobody didn't come.)
Nothing happened. (NOT Nothing didn't happen.)
4. The plural indefinite pronouns: many , few , several , both take plural verbs.
Examples
• Many Filipinos work abroad.
• Both parents are working.
5.The indefinite pronouns : some , any , all most , none are singular if they refer to
mass nouns non countable or noncount nouns such as snow etc) as it's also known
and plural if they refer to plural nouns.
Examples :
• Most of the soldiers were killed.
• Most of the food tastes sweet.
• Invited my friends but none have come.
• None of the water was drunk
6. Compound subjects joined by and generally take plurals.
• Example: Aslam and Ahmed are neighbours.
7. Compound subjects that refer the same person or thing take singular verbs.
Example:
• Cake and ice cream was served to the guests.
• My son and heir is present in the party.
8. When compound subjects are joined by an "either/or" or "neither/nor" type of scenario. In these
instances, the verb will agree with the subject that is closest to the verb. Let's take a look.
(important)
Examples:
• Neither the president nor her assistant has replied to the accusation.
• Mom or Sharon will bring the dessert.
• Either you or your friend needs to tell me what happened.
• Neither the toy by the door nor the shoes in the living room need to be put away.
• The sofa or the chair will have to be moved to the den.
• Neither yellow nor red matches that comforter.
• Baked goods or fried foods are not healthy for you.
• Either all of us or none of us go to the party.
• Neither the basement nor the bedroom has been vacuumed.
• Either fish or chicken is served at the cafeteria daily.
• Hot soup or crackers will help you feel better.
 Rule 9
• Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take singular verbs.
Examples:
a. Measles is contagious.
b. Physics makes me shiver.
(Mathematics, physics, statics, news, ethics, linguistics, phonetics, politics,
economics, statistics, measles, mumps, rickets, billiards, darts, droughts,
innings)
 Rule 10
• Intervening words or expressions like together with , as well as , in addition
to , along with and similar constructions do not affect the number of the
verb.
Example:
• Ali , along with her cousins, decides to work abroad.
• His daughter, as well as his two sons, wants him to move.
• My friend , the doctor is an honest person.
 Rule 11
• Words or phrases expressing periods of time , weights, measurements and
amount of money are usually regarded as singular.
• Examples:
• Ten years is a maximum sentence for the offence
• Thirty miles is a long distance
• Twenty dollars is a huge amount.
Note: Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time, that
is, do not let the verb agree with the head word of the noun phrase
subject, but rather with the singular sum of money or period of time:
Even though both dollars and years are plural, we get singular agreement, since
we are dealing with one (singular) sum of money in the first example, and one
(singular) period of time in the second example.
 Rule 12
• Fractions may take singular or plural verbs depending on the of-phrase.
Examples:
• One-third of this article is/articles are taken up with statistical analysis.
• One-third of the students have graduate degrees.
• Fifty percent of the job is routine.
• Fifty percent of the computers have CD-ROM drives.
 Rule 13,14
13.The expression the number takes a singular verb, the expression a number, takes a plural
verb
• The number of volunteers is quite big.
• A number of volunteers are students.
14. Collective nouns take singular verbs if they are used to denote a single unit; they take
plural verbs if they are used to refer to individual actions of the group.
(It depends. If these nouns are acting as a unit, use a singular verb)
• The team is heading for practice this afternoon.
• The team are eating with their families tonight.
• The committee was formed in 2012.
The committee are having sandwiches for lunch.
 Rule 15
• The expression one of the is followed by a plural noun and singular verb.
• One of the members of committee is absent.
• One of the students has not done assignment.

Good Luck