Subject-verb Agreement
(s/v agr)
Subjects must agree with their verbs (sometimes also
called predicates). In order for that to
happen, you must keep in mind several rules:
- Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take
plural subjects.
Tom
drives to work everyday.
Singular subject = Tom; singular verb = work
Cats
chase mice.
Plural subject = cats;
plural verb = chase
- Prepositional phrases can come between the subject and
verb. In that case,
overlook the
prepositional phrase and make the subject agree with the verb.
One of my best friends is a lawyer.
Prepositional phrase = of my best friends;
singular subject = one;
singular verb = is.
- Two subjects, joined to each other by and, is considered a
plural subject, which
will
naturally take a plural verb.
Jay Leno and Conan
O’Brien are two late night comedians on NBC.
Plural
subject = Jay Leno
and Conan O’Brien; plural subject = are
When the
compound subject forms a single idea, use a singular verb.
Speech
and theatre is the name of a college department.
Singular
subject = speech
theatre; singular verb = is
- When subjects are separated by or or nor (or by either and
neither), the subject nearest the verb need to agree.
My brother or my
parents are going to represent me at the meeting.
Plural subject = parents;
plural verb = are
My parents or my
brother is going to represent me at the meeting.
Singular subject = brother;
singular verb = is
Neither the boys nor
their father is going to meet the principal.
Singular subject = father;
singular verb: is
- Indefinite pronouns, as subjects, always take singular
verbs. These are indefinite
pronouns:
each anyone anybody anything
either everyone everybody everything
neither someone somebody something
one no
one nobody nothing
An example of a sentence with an
indefinite pronoun follows:
Nobody
is at home.
Singular subject = nobody,
singular verb = is
- Collective nouns, as subjects, take singular verbs. Some collective nouns are
words board
of trustees, team, jury, faculty, committee, family, couple, crowd,
and
audience.
The
faculty meets this Friday in the conference room.
Singular
subject = faculty; singular verb:
meets
- Subjects that seem to be plurals with an s at the end,
although singular in meaning, take on a singular verb. Examples of such words are news,
statistics, economics, athletics, mathematics, politics, and physics.
Mathematics is one of
the most difficult subjects for college students.
8. When verbs
come before the subjects, the subjects must take the appropriate verbs.
Usually, in a
sentence the verb follows the subject.
However, in some, the verbs
precede the subject.
Here is the book you are supposed to read for
the class.
Singular verb = is; singular subject
= book
There were ten people at my party.
Plural verb = were; plural subject
= people
- Gerunds, and titles of books, films, and company names will
always take singular verbs. Gerund
phrases are verbs ending in ing and followed by modifiers,
complements, or objects.
Answering
the phone is the job of the intern.
Gerund: answering the phone; singular verb= is;
XYZ
manufactures many of our household products.
Title of
company = XYZ; singular verb = manufactures