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Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule of English grammar which states that the subject and the verb in a sentence must align in number. In simpler terms, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must be plural.
Table of Contents
What is Subject-Verb Agreement?
At its core, subject-verb agreement ensures that your sentences are grammatically logical. The “subject” is the person, place, or thing that is performing the action, and the “verb” is the action itself. For a sentence to sound correct to a native speaker and to follow standard grammatical conventions, these two components must “agree.”
Plural: The dogs (plural subject) bark (plural verb).
The Basic Rules of Agreement
The most common confusion occurs with the letter -s. In English, adding an “s” to a noun usually makes it plural (cats, houses). However, adding an “s” to a verb in the present tense actually makes it singular.
| Subject Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Add -s or -es to the verb | He walks to school. |
| Plural | Do not add -s to the verb | They walk to school. |
| I and You | Use the plural form (no -s) | I run daily; You sing well. |
Compound Subjects and “And”
When you have two or more subjects joined by the word “and,” you generally use a plural verb. This is because the combination of two individuals or items creates a plural group.
Incorrect: The teacher and the student is in the classroom.
Either/Or and Neither/Nor Rules
This is where things get a bit tricky. When subjects are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is often called the “Rule of Proximity.”
- Neither the manager nor the employees work on weekends. (Plural verb because “employees” is closer)
- Neither the employees nor the manager works on weekends. (Singular verb because “manager” is closer)
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are words that don’t refer to a specific person or thing. Most of these are treated as singular, even if they seem to imply more than one person.
Correct: Each of the students has a laptop.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns (like team, family, group, audience, or committee) refer to a group of people but are usually treated as a singular unit because the members are acting in unison.
Example: The team is practicing for the championship.
Note: If the members of the group are acting individually, you might use a plural verb, but this is rare in American English.
Intervening Phrases
One of the most common mistakes happens when words come between the subject and the verb. Phrases starting with “as well as,” “along with,” or “including” are not part of the subject.
Explanation: “Politician” is the singular subject. “Along with the newsmen” is an extra phrase that does not change the verb to plural.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the verb change in the past tense?
Usually, no. Most verbs in the simple past tense have the same form for both singular and plural subjects (e.g., “He ran” and “They ran”). The main exception is the verb to be (was/were).
What about “there is” and “there are”?
In sentences beginning with “there,” the subject follows the verb. You must look ahead to see if the subject is singular or plural.
Example: There is a book on the table. There are three books on the table.
Quick Practice:
1. The basket of apples (sit/sits) on the counter.
2. My sisters and my mother (is/are) going to the mall.
Answers: 1. sits (Subject is “basket”), 2. are (Compound subject).
