Subject and Verb Agreement

NOTE: We will use the convention of a thin underline for subjects and a thick underline for verbs. Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of agreement. Example: The list of items is/are on the desk. Being able to identify the subject and verb correctly will also help you with commas and semicolons as you will see later.

Rule 7
Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb. Examples: The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly. Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 8
The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, andsomebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of. Examples: Each of the girls sings well. Every one of the cakes is gone. NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.

Basic Rule
The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. NOTE: The trick is in knowing whether the subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural verb. Hint: Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order to determine which verb is singular and which one is plural, think of which verb you would use with he or she and which verb you would use with they. Example: talks, talk Which one is the singular form? Which word would you use with he? We say, "He talks." Therefore, talks is singular. We say, "They talk." Therefore, talk is plural.

Rule 9
With words that indicate portionspercent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, and so forth look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb. Examples: Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared. Pie is the object of the preposition of. Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared. Pies is the object of the preposition. One-third of the city is unemployed. One-third of the people are unemployed. NOTE: Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions. All of the pie is gone. All of the pies are gone. Some of the pie is missing. Some of the pies are missing. None of the garbage was picked up. None of the sentences were punctuated correctly. Of all her books, none have sold as well as the first one. NOTE: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. However, according to Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism" (p. 664).

Rule 1
Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb. Example: My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.

Rule 2
Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in Rule 1. Examples: Neither Juan nor Carmen is available. Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 3
When I is one of the two subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am. Example: Neither she nor I am going to the festival.

Rule 4
When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb. Example: The serving bowl or the plates go on that shelf.

Rule 10
The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb. Examples: The number of people we need to hire is thirteen. A number of people have written in about this subject.

Rule 5
When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb. Example: Neither Jenny nor the others are available.

Rule 11
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs. Examples: Neither of them is available to speak right now. Either of us is capable of doing the job.

Rule 6
As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected byand. Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

Rule 12
The words here and there have generally been labeled as adverbs even though they indicate place. In sentences beginning with here or there, the subject follows the verb. Examples: There are four hurdles to jump. There is a high hurdle to jump.

3. Use singular verbs with singular indefinite pronouns each, the -bodies, -ones, and -things (anybody, everyone, nothing), and the like: Neither is correct. (And, just as in rule number 1, the presence of a modifier is irrelevant: Neither of them is correct.) 4. Use plural verbs with plural indefinite pronouns: Many outcomes are possible. 5. Use singular verbs with uncountable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun: All the paint is dried up. 6. Use plural verbs with countable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun: All the nails are spilled on the floor. 7. Use plural verbs with compound subjects that include and: The dog and the cat are outside. 8. Use plural verbs or singular verbs, depending on the form of the noun nearest the verb, with compound subjects that include nor or or: Either the dog or the cats are responsible for the mess. (Either the cats or the dog is responsible for the mess is also technically correct but is awkward.) 9. Use singular verbs with inverted subjects that include singular nouns: Why is my hat outside in the rain?

Rule 13
Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time. Examples: Ten dollars is a high price to pay. Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.

Rule 14
Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of a verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So, if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb. Examples: Salma is the scientist who writes/write the reports. The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes. He is one of the men who does/do the work. The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.

Rule 15
Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence. Examples: The staff is in a meeting. Staff is acting as a unit here. The staff are in disagreement about the findings. The staff are acting as separate individuals in this example. The sentence would read even better as: The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.

20 Rules About Subject-Verb Agreement

by Mark Nichol

10. Use plural verbs with inverted subjects (those beginning with the expletive there rather than the actual subject) that include plural nouns: There are several hats outside in the rain. 11. Use singular or plural verbs with collective nouns depending on meaning: His staff is assembled, but Staff are asked to go to the conference room immediately. (In the first sentence, the emphasis is on the body of employees; in the second sentence, the focus is on compliance by each individual in the body of employees.) 12. Use singular verbs for designations of entities, such as nations or organizations, or compositions, such as books or films: The United Nations is headquartered in New York.

Is, or are? Go, or goes? Whether a verb is singular or plural depends on any one of a complicated set of factors. Here is a roster of rules for subject-verb agreement (or Here are some rules . . .): 1. Use verbs that agree with a subject, not with a noun that is part of a modifying phrase or clause between verb and subject: The pot of eggs is boiling on the stove. 2. Use singular or plural verbs that agree with the subject, not with the complement of the subject: My favorite type of movie is comedies, but Comedies are my favorite type of movie.

13. Use singular verbs for subjects plural in form but singular in meaning: Physics is my favorite subject. 14. Use singular or plural verbs for subjects plural in form but plural or singular in meaning depending on the context: The economics of the situation are complicated, but Economics is a complicated topic. 15. Use plural verbs for subjects plural in form and meaning: The tweezers are in the cupboard. 16. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form one of those (blank) who . . .: I am one of those eccentrics who do not tweet. 17. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form the only one of those (blank) who . . .: I am the only one of my friends who does not tweet. 18. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form the number of (blank) . . .: The number of people here boggles the mind. 19. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form a number of (blank) . . .: A number of people here disagree. 20. Use singular verbs in construction of the forms every (blank) . . . and many a (blank) . . .: Every good boy does fine; Many a true word is spoken in jest.

after them, aint we? or But suh, dey tells me not to do dat! It could be worse. If you spoke Basque, the object would have to agree with the subject too. In many languages, such as French, pronouns and nouns, even inanimate objects, have gender, and they have to agree with each other too. In proper Turkish, some vowels need to agree. Notice that English verbs, unlike nouns, usually dont become plural by addings. In fact, many singular, present-tense verbs end with s, while many plural verbs dont exactly the opposite of nouns. More than anything else, sentences that begin with several nouns tend to fool people. Here are some rules to guide you into what you should do with them: 1. Two singular subjects connected with and are plural, and need a plural verb. For example, which is correct: My mother and my father are visiting me or My mother and my father is visiting me? After all, its correct to say My father is visiting me. But two parents together are plural, not singular, so you need to use are. Of course, a plural subject combined with a singular subject is still plural, and you would use a plural verb. For example, this is correct: The general and his advisers are responsible for the decision. To make it less confusing, we put the plural subject last, closest to the verb. 2. Two singular subjects connected with

Six Rules for Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

by Michael

the conjunctions or or norneed a singular verb. For example, My mother or my father is going to call me today is correct, because only one of them will be calling. It works the same way with andor and neithernor: Neither my mother nor my father is going to call me today. If one of the subjects is plural, use a plural verb: The general or his advisers are responsible for the decision. Again, we put the plural subject last, closest to the verb. 3. Dont get distracted if theres another phrase between the subject and the verb. For example, you should say My sister, along with her children, is visiting me

If you want to write proper English, you have to follow a rule called subject-verb agreement. That means that if the subject is plural (ducks), then the verb needs to be plural (quack). If the subject is singular (duck) then the verb needs to be singular (quacks). This issue is not as picky and unimportant as you might think. Traditionally, American novelists who wanted to show that a character was uneducated would give them dialog with incorrect subject-verb agreement: Waall, we is just gonna have to ride

next month; even though you would say My sister and her daughters are visiting me next month. The verb needs to agree with the subject, not with other nouns that happen to precede the verb. 4. Words such as either, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone,anybody, someone, none or eac h, are singular and need a singular verb. As we just said, dont be fooled if a singular subject is followed by plural nouns. For example, when you write each of my daughters, make sure the verb agrees with the singular subject each instead of the plural noun daughters. And the singular subject everyone who knows my daughters should be followed by the singular predicate is impressed by them, not are impressed by them. 5. On the other hand, fractions or portions of a plural noun are still plural. Often these are expressed with prepositional phrases: most of the students or half of the campus. Use a singular verb if the object of the preposition is singular, but a plural verb if its plural. For example, write Some of the students are wealthy, and Half of the campus is covered with trees. 6. Time and money are singular. Yes, five is plural, and the word yards is plural, but you would write Five yards is all I need to finish my sewing project. Notice that many of these rules are really just warnings to look carefully at the sentences you write. Once you know that subjects and verbs need to agree, and you know what counts as the subject and what doesnt, you are on your way to sounding more educated.

Most indefinite pronouns correspond to singular verbs: Someone has left her plate on the table. Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion. Each boy is responsible for his actions. To confirm, test for the proper verb form by writing a simple sentence in which is follows the pertinent pronoun: Someone is missing (not Someone are missing). The proper verb form for some indefinite pronouns depends on the reference: All of the soup is gone. (Soup is a single entity.) Some of the comments are favorable. (The comments are counted as separate entities.) The indefinite pronoun none can be singular or plural depending on the context: None of the jewels are missing. (None of the components of the whole entity in question are missing.) None of the jewelry is missing. (Not one part of the whole entity is missing.)

2. Conjunctive Phrases
The simple conjunction and cannot necessarily be replaced by such phrases as along with, as well as, and together with: The doe along with its fawns is resting in the meadow. (This sentence is correct, however, if along with its fawns is inserted into the sentence The doe is resting in the meadow, which requires bracketing commas. The same is true of the other phrases.)

3. Either/Or and Neither/Nor

Neither and either refer to two compared or associated objects as individual entities and are therefore usually employed with singular verbs: Neither she nor I are ready for that. Either option will work for me. Informally, however, an exception is made in such constructions as Are either of you ready? In either/or and neither/nor constructions with a mixture of singular and plural nouns, the verb form is determined by whether the closest noun is

7 Classes of Noun/Verb Agreement

by Mark Nichol

singular or plural: Either the captain or one of the lieutenants are leading the patrol. Neither the students nor the teacher remembers hearing anything.

Below youll find seven classes of noun/verb agreement you need to understand.

1. Indefinite Pronouns

However, because the plural noun and the singular verb still clash in the second sentence despite their lack of proximity, it is advisable to construct the sentence so that the singular pronoun precedes the plural one: Neither the teacher nor the students remember hearing anything.

One-third of the trees are oaks. Numbers expressed as part of a mathematical operation are linked with a plural verb, but the outcome of a computation is expressed as a single entity: Ten and six are added together to equal sixteen. Ten minus six is four.

4. Positive and Negative Subjects in Combination

A subject consisting of positive and negative sentiments that differ in singular and plural form should be followed by a verb that corresponds with the positive element: The delivery of the speech, not its contents, is the issue. As with either/or and neither/nor constructions, perhaps it is best to rearrange the sentence so that the singular noun is in proximity with the verb: It is not the contents of the speech, but its delivery, that is at issue.

Careful with Words Used as Noun and Verb

by Maeve Maddox

English has numerous word pairs that are spelled alike, but pronounced differently according to whether the word is being used as a noun or as a verb. Some examples are conduct, digest, escort, insult, produce, and record. With each of these words, and others like them, the accent shifts according to the part of speech. Here are some examples: I do not approve of his cnduct. John Williams will condct the symphony . He subscribes to the Congressional Dgest. Some food is difficult to digst. Charlie will be her scort. He will escrt her to the Prom. That last remark was an nsult. How dare you inslt your father? Celery and tomatoes are fresh prduce. These factories prodce the finest widgets. Thats his fifth platinum rcord. Lets recrd the babys first word. You will notice that for the noun the accent falls on the first syllable; for the verb, on the second. Some noun/verb pairs shift in pronunciation and in spelling. These are the ones writers need to be aware of. Here are a few that Ive seen misused : Take his advice with a grain of salt. Who will advise the king? He likes a warm bath. They bathe in the river. Its cold enough to see our breath. Dont breathe the chemical fumes. The shoes are made of cloth. Feed the hungry and clothe the naked. He felt grief at the death of the child. He must be allowed time to grieve.

5. Expletives
In sentences beginning with such expletives as here and there, the actual subject, which follows the verb, determines the verb form: There is a word for that. Here are several choices.

6. Plural Nouns for Single Objects

Plural nouns that name single objects, such as scissors and pants, are matched with plural verbs unless the phrase pair of precedes the noun; in that case, pair is the subject: Scissors are dangerous. A pair of scissors is required for this activity. Some other nouns ending in s are also singular in meaning: The mumps is a disease you dont hear much about anymore. Meanwhile, others stand for a single thing but call for a plural verb: Thanks are in order.

7. Fractional Phrases
Phrases referring to a mathematical portion may, depending on the context, be singular or plural: A small percentage of the employees are opposed. A large percentage of the cargo was damaged. Three-fourths of the land is forested.

Here, Ill give you half. The new invention will halve production costs. What is the proof of your contention? He worked night and day to prove his innocence. A prophecy of Merlin foretold the Maid. Prophesy unto the wind, for the wind will listen.

Other ways to say it: Throughout the film, he fears that the treasure wont be his. Throughout the film, he is troubled by fears that the treasure wont be his. Because of labor strikes the trains scheduled this afternoon will be delayed. If you see labor strikes the trains, youll interpret the sentence as an account of union unrest and riots. If you see the trains scheduled, youll wonder who is in charge now: violent labor unions or sinister trains with a mind of their own. Other ways to say it: Because of labor strikes, the trains that were scheduled this afternoon will be delayed. Labor strikes will delay this afternoons trains. To defuse this type of confusing sentence, break the connection between the words that shouldnt be connected. In the second example, a comma may be all you need to add. In the first example, we need to keep his and troubles apart. Some words will always be troublesome. No matter where you put it in the sentence, a word such as strikes can be a source of confusion for hasty readers, since it can be both noun and verb. Of course, the shorter the sentence, the quicker your readers can untangle it.

Is That a Noun or a Verb? Im Confused

by Michael

The main reason why sentences are confusing is that they are too long. Shorten them and your readers will thank you. But another leading reason for confusing sentences: uncertainty about what part of speech a word is: noun, verb, adverb, adjective, and so on. Why should I care about parts of , if Im not a teacher of English grammar? Because, subconsciously, we all do what our English teachers taught us: we diagram sentences. The more complex the sentence, the longer it is, the more likely we are to search for subjects and predicates, just to make sense of the sentence. Who is doing what to whom? The problem comes when a word can be used as either noun or verb or something else, and were not sure at first glance which it is. The reason whythats a problem is that many sentences dont get more than a first glance. When we scan, browse, or speed-read, we want to grasp the gist of the sentence right away. We dont want to have to read it more than once. Here are examples of the kind of confusing sentences Im talking about: The fear that the treasure wont be his troubles him throughout the film. When many readers see the phrase his troubles, their minds will try to turn it into either the subject or the object of the sentence, which it isnt. If they see the phrase his troubles him, they will really get confused. Both phrases misinterpret the sentence.