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Subject-Verb Agreement
The major cause of subject-verb agreement error is that writers cannot identify the simple subject of a clause; if they do, they
find it hard to decide whether it is a plural or a singular subject.
*Note: In some English dialects S-V agreement may vary. For writing assignments it is best to use the standard S-V format.
1. Nouns or pronouns may intervene between the subject and the verb. In such cases it is important to note which what the
verb refers to
Examples: Watermelons sold by the roadside usually taste good.
Taxes, along with unemployment, influence votes.
Likewise plural subjects joined by or, either, nor, neither take plural verbs.
Example: Neither the doctors nor the lawyers are meeting today.
If one subject is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the nearest subject.
Examples: Either Sam or his sisters are coming.
Either my parents or my sister is on the phone.
4. Sometimes the verb might come before the noun (inverted word order)
Examples: There are no poisonous snakes in the area.
There remains an unanswered question.
5. Relative pronoun (who, which, that) used as a subject takes singular or plural verb according to its antecedent.
Examples: It is the pharmacist who often suggests a new brand.
This is the only one of the local papers that prints a daily horoscope.
This is one of the newspapers that print a large type.
6. When used as subjects, words like each, either, neither, one, everybody, and anyone take singular verbs.
Examples: Neither likes the friends of the other.
Everybody in the office has tickets.
7. Collective nouns and pronouns denoting fixed quantity take singular verb.
Examples: The majority has made its decision.
The number of board members is very small.
10. The title of a singular work spoken of as a word, even when in plural form, takes singular verb.
Example: "Toys" is one of my favorite poems.