Subject Verb Agreement 

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The subject must agree with the verb in person and number.  Most of the errors are occurred when students fail to catch a singular subject with a singular verb, or a plural subject with a plural verb.

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If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too, such as: 

• She writes every day.

If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural:

• They write every day.

A compound subject joined by 'and' generally takes a plural verb, such as:

• You and I are good friends.  

• Hari and Sita are students.

If several singular subjects represent the or if they form, the singular verb is used as:

• Slow and steady wins the race. 

• The crown and the glory of life is honesty.

• Horse and carriage is waiting for us at the gate.

• Pen and ink is required for me.

• Bread and butter is rich food.

If singular subjects are joined by ‘and’ and if there is each or every or no before any one of the singular verb is used as: 

• Nobody and no boy is present today. 

• Every day and every night brings its own pleasure for us.

If and joins two or more titles or designations of the same person, the singular verb is used. But if THE article is used with titles or designations, the plural verb is used because the expression refers to two different persons: 

• The poet and teacher has just come.

• The editor and the principal are in the office. 

If words are added to a singular subject by with, together with, along with, in addition to, as well as, except, besides and not, no less than, rather than, more than, like, unlike, including and excluding the singular verb is used: 

• The thief, as well as his sons, was arrested. 

• The ship, with all its passengers, was drowned.

• She, no less than her friends, has done mistakes in the exam.

If two or more singular noun or singular pronouns are joined by or, nor, either.....or, neither.........nor, the singular verb is used: 

• Neither Hari nor Suman is coming here today.

If one of the subjects joined by or, nor, either.....or, neither.........nor, etc. the plural subject must be used with the plural verb: 

• Neither Hari nor his friends are coming here today.

If the subject joined by or, nor, either...or.....neither....nor, etc. are of different persons, the verb agrees with the nearer subject: 

• Neither you nor he eats this apple.

• Neither she nor they are outside.

If the subject of the sentence begins with anyone of these phrases: a great deal of, a good deal of, a lot of, some of, most of, in such a situation, the verb agrees with the of the 'of': 

• Some of the information is very important. (of+singular subject: information)

• A great deal of attempts have been followed. (of+plural subject: attempts)

Plural words that come in between a singular subject and its verb donot change the number of the subject. So, the singular verb should be used: 

• The water of these bottles is well-filtered.

• One of the guests was still there.

If the subject of a sentence begins with phrases indicating fractions such as a number of, a lot of, lots of, heaps of, plenty of, a quarter of, two-thirds of, three-fourths of, majority of, minority of, a handful of, etc. the verb agrees with the noun or pronoun that comes the preposition 'of': 

• A quarter of it is good.

• A quarter of them are bad.

• Half of the apple is bad.

• Half of the apples are good.

But the subject of a sentence begins with phrases such as a band of, a chain of, a bouquet of, a galaxy of, a series of, a team of, a flock of, a set of, a regiment of, a crowd of, a flock of, a class of, a group of, a bunch of, a batch of, a garland of etc. the subject takes a singular verb through the word after 'of' is plural: 

• A team of players has just arrived.

• A group of people is gathering here.

• A bunch of flowers has been sold.

• A bouquet of roses has been presented to you.

A number of+plural subjeect+plural verb

• A number of people are coming. (Non-specific)

The number of+plural subject+singular verb

• The number of people is coming here. (Specific)

More+plural noun+than one+plural verb

• More teachers than one are present.

One of+plural noun/pronoun+which/who/that+plural verb.

• He is one of those students who obey teachers well.

A pair of+scissors/spectacles+singular verb.

• A pair of scissors has been bought.

• A pair of trousers has been sewn for me.

Collective nouns, such as team, committee, class, family, sheep, fish, deer, aircraft, species, staff, cabinet, crew, board, army, jury, government, mob, flock, panel, company, etc. take the singular or the plural verb according to the speaker's concept of the thing a single whole or of the individuals of which it is composed:

• The committee (as a single body) has published a notice.

• The committee (as individuals) have shared their views.

The following indefinite pronouns such as many a, each, one, every, every one, everybody, anybody, nobody, either, neither, no one, more than one, etc. take singular verbs: 

• Each of them has gone.                     

• No one understands it.

• More than one girl is absent.            

• Many a man was killed.

The used with the definite article "the", such etc. talk about a group of people in a particular situation. So they take the plural verbs:

• The old are ignored.   The rich are proud.

The relative clauses begin with the relative pronouns such as take the singular or plural verbs on the basis of the antecedent of the relative pronoun: 

• The men who are talking here are my friends.

• The book which is on the table is torn.

The sentence begins with "There", the verb should be used according to the noun after the verb:

• There seem to be twenty-five students in our class.

• There seems to be one student in our class now.

Singular noun joined by a preposition (i.e. singular noun+preposition+singular noun) in some expressions takes singular verb: 

• One hour after another is passing so fast.

• Letter after letter describes his struggle to find expression.

Gerund and to-infinitive as subject always take singular verbs: 

• To help others is our duty.

• Exercising every day keeps you healthy.

The following collective nouns seem to be singular but are actually plural and so they take plural verbs. (Cattle, clergy, people, police, poultry, public, vermine (destructive creatures), gentry (upper or ruling class), swine): 

• The cattle are grazing.                      

• The public are watching us.

Plural nouns used with a singular verb: News, athletics, linguistics, darts, billards, classics, comics, dynamics, innings, poetics, mechanics, magnetics, politics, etc.: 

• News: The news is at 6.30 p.m.

• Athletics: Athletics is good for young people.

• Linguistics: Linguistics is the scientific study of language.

• Darts: Darts is a popular game in England.

• Billiards: Billiards is played all over the world.

Some plural nouns always take plural verbs: Trousers, jeans, glasses, clothes, goods, stairs, customs (tax), ashes, arms, etc.: 

• Trousers: My trousers are too tight.

• Jeans: Her jeans are black.

• Glasses: Those glasses are mine.

The following nouns are used only in the singular form, and so they take singular verbs: Abuse, advice, brick, furniture, gossip, information, issue, offspring, poetry, scenery, thunder, etc.: 

• The scenery of Nepal is beautiful.    

• The luggage has been packed.

Certain units, measurements, distance, amounts and arithmetic calculations agree with singular verbs: 

• Ten kilometers is a long distance.

• Two plus two makes four.

• Ten thousand rupees is a big amount for me.

Exercise 

1. Everybody... ... ... to get success. (want/wants/have wanted)

2. All her money... ... ... kept into her pocket. (is/are/have)

3. One of his cousins... ... ... from Boston. (comes/come/coming)

4. A number of girls... ... ... fighting in school. (was/were/have)

5. Five thousand dollars. .. ... ..too much for that bus. (is/are/have)

6. Every member of the club... ... ... present today. (is/are/am)

7. Five miles... ... ... very long distance. (is/are/were)

8. Prerana and Prashant ……… good friends. (is/ are/has)

9. She, with her parents, ... . . . . . going to the zoo. (is/are/ have)

10. Neither a dog nor a cat ….in the room. (was/were/are)

11. All that glitters ………not gold. (is/are/were)

12. The manager, with his friends,……arrived at office (have/has/are)

13. Bread and butter………..a wholesome food. (is/are/have)

14. No news……..good news. . (is/are/have)

15. Two and two …………four. (make/makes/will make)

16. Good news………..always good for us. (is/are/were)

17. Every boy and every girl………….to me carefully. ( listens/ listen/ listening)

18. One of the arguments…….that the hill was only imaginative.( is/are/have been)

19. Rita or Rama ……to me today (come/ comes/ have come)

20. Fifty rupees……..nothing to buy anything. (is /are/ have)

21. Fifteen kilometers………..not a short distance for a walk in a day (is /are/ have)

22. Time and tide…………for none. (wait/ waits/ waited) art + noun + art + noun + are, were, have, do, v1 art + noun + noun + is, was, has, does, v5

23. The crew…………arrived recently.(has/ have/ are)

24. Neither he nor she………………anything.(know/ knows/ knows)

25. The teacher, together with students,……..presented the paper. ( has/ have/ are)

26. People in Nepal……….simple and honest(are/ is / am)

27. The number of students in our school……….increasing.( is/ are/ have been)

28. Horse and carriage………at the gate.(are/ is/ come)

29. Sima as well as her friends………..present today.(is/ am /are)

30. More than one boy………..dancing. .(is/ am /are)