Subject / Verb Agreement

Front

What is subject-verb agreement?

Back

Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

Front

When should a singular verb be used?

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A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

Front

When should a plural verb be used?

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A plural verb should be used when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

Front

What is the rule for compound subjects joined by 'and'?

Back

When two subjects are joined by 'and', they typically require a plural verb.

Front

What is the rule for compound subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb should agree with the subject that is closest to it.

Front

How does the presence of phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as' affect subject-verb agreement?

Back

Phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as' do not change the number of the subject; the verb should still agree with the main subject.

Front

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for collective nouns?

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Collective nouns can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit or as individuals.

Front

How does the word 'none' affect subject-verb agreement?

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The word 'none' can be singular or plural depending on the context; it can take either a singular or plural verb.

Front

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for indefinite pronouns?

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Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'someone', and 'each' are considered singular and take singular verbs.

Front

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for the word 'data'?

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The word 'data' can be treated as singular or plural; however, it is often treated as plural in scientific contexts.