Subject Verb Agreement

Identify the subject and verb

i). The quality of the mangoes was not good.

ii). My friend and benefactor has come.

iii). The ship, with its crew, was lost.

iv). Silver, as well as cotton, has fallen in price.

v). He and I were playing in the garden.

vi). Neither food nor water was found there.

vii). Bread and butter is his only food.

viii). Neither of the two men is useful in this matter

 Identify the subject and verb
i). The quality of the mangoes was not good.

ii). My friend and benefactor has come.

iii). The ship, with its crew, was lost.

iv). Silver, as well as cotton, has fallen in price.

v). He and I were playing in the garden.

vi). Neither food nor water was found there.

vii). Bread and butter is his only food.

viii). Neither of the two men is useful in this matter.

1. A verb must agree with its subject in
Number.
Singular Subject needs Singular Verb

The student helps the old lady across the street.

The robber is robbing a mobile from a boy.

Plural Subject needs Plural Verb

The students help the old lady across the street.

The robbers are robbing a mobile from a boy.
 Compound Subjects
Compound Subjects consist of two or more subjects
joined by and require a plural verb: as,

 Gold and silver are precious metals.

 Knowledge and wisdom have of times no connection.
 Are your father and mother at home?
 The secretary and the treasurer are absent.
 Compound Subjects
 Ifthe nouns suggest one idea to the mind, or refer to same
person or thing, the verb is singular: as,

 The horse and carriage is at the door.

 Honour and glory is his reward.
 The rise and fall of the tide is due to lunar influence.
 The novelist and poet is dead.
Word like together with, along with, as well as
etc
 Phrases such as together with, along with, and as well as
seem to join subjects, but they do not work the same as
and: they are not conjunctions.

 e.g:

 Some of the hay in the barn, as well as some major pieces of farm
equipment, was ruined in the flood.

 The major spending bill before Congress, together with some other bills
that are awaiting action, is going to cost taxpayers plenty.

 The ship, with its crew, was lost

 Singular Indefinite Pronouns/ Adjective
These indefinite pronouns are singular:
◦ Every, Everyone, Everybody, Nobody, Each, One, No one.
◦ Everyone associated with the project is proud to be the part
of the effort.
◦ Someone has to be responsible.
◦ Everyone wants to win the lottery.
◦ Each of the five departments is hiring new instructors.
◦ Everything is ready for the party.
◦ One hardly knows what to do.
 Plural Indefinite Pronouns / Adjective
These indefinite pronouns are plural:
All, Many, None, Few, These, Those, Both
 All of them want to go to the party.
 All passengers are now sitting in the bus.
 Ten boys were swimming in the pool and all were
drowned.
 None of his poems are well known.
 None of the representatives have indicated how they will
vote.
 Many of them are vegetarian.
 Many people were protesting against the new law.
 Both of us have a key.
Singular/Plural Indefinite Pronouns / Adjective

Some, who, which, that are singular as well as plural:

Countable / Uncountable
 Some are born genius.
 Some of the students in the cafeteria have voted already.
 Some of the grain was ruined by the flood.
 Some milk was split.
 The man, who is honest, is trusted.
 They never fail, who die in a great cause.
 The moment, which is lost, is lost forever.
 The books which help you most are those which make
you think most.
Subjects joined by either, or, neither, nor,
 Neither the players nor the coach was present.
 Neither the coach nor the players were present.
 Neither the instructor nor the students have any control over the number
of 8 o’clock classes.
 Neither the students nor the instructor has any control over the number of
8 o’clock classes.
 Either you or they are lying.
 Either he or I am going for the next meeting.

Either/ Neither are singular without or/nor.

 Either of these roads leads to the railway station.
 Neither of the accusation is true.
 Neither of these choices appears to be satisfactory.
Here and There
◦ Here are my reasons for quitting. (Plural)
◦ There is no need to pay me next week. (Singular)
◦ There are two reasons for this quarrel. (Plural)
◦ There is no reason for this quarrel. (Singular)
◦ Here is the file, you are looking for. (Singular)
◦ Here is a well-known writer at the meeting. (Singular)
Nouns,
Plural in form but Singular in meaning
◦ Economics is fun and exciting
◦ The news is usually broadcast live
◦ The news is true.
◦ Mathematics is a subject of practice.
◦ Physics is a branch of science.
◦ Statistics is a difficult course.
 Note: Names of the subjects are singulars.
 Some nouns are used only in the plural, as: scissors,
eyeglasses, tongs, pincers, trousers, jeans, pyjamas etc
◦ My glasses are kept there on the sofa.
◦ The scissors are used for cutting the clothes.
◦ These trousers are short.
Collective Nouns
Singular/ Plural?

 The committee has issued its report.

 The committee are divided on one minor point.
 The jury has announced the decision.
 The jury were different in decision.
Titles, Names of the Books, states are
Singular
 The arabian nights is still a great favourite.
 The united states has a big navy.
 Gulliver’s Travels was written by Jonathan Swift.
 The Simpsons is my favourite TV show.
Money and Measurement
Units of time, money, distance, and weight use
singular verbs:
◦ Twenty kilometres is a long distance to skate to work each day.
◦ Eight dollars an hour is a poor rate.
The expression the number is singular
◦ The number of failures is decreasing.
The expression a number is plural
◦ A number of people are leaving.
Quantity or Amount
 When a plural noun denotes some specific quantity or
amount consider as a whole, the verb is generally
singular:

 Fifteen minutes is allowed to each speaker.

 Ten kilometers is a long walk.
 Fifty thousand rupees is a large sum.
 Three parts of the business is left for me to do.
Thanks