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

What is the rule for subject-verb agreement with singular subjects?

Back

When the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. For example, 'The dog barks.'

Front

What is the rule for subject-verb agreement with plural subjects?

Back

When the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. For example, 'The dogs bark.'

Front

How do you determine the number of a compound subject?

Back

A compound subject joined by 'and' is usually plural, requiring a plural verb. For example, 'Wendy and Mia walk.'

Front

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

Back

Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals. For example, 'The team wins' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing' (plural).

Front

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

Back

Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' and 'someone' are singular and require a singular verb. For example, 'Everyone sings.'

Front

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for the verb 'to be'?

Back

The verb 'to be' must agree with the subject in number and person. For example, 'He is' (singular) vs. 'They are' (plural).

Front

How does subject-verb agreement apply to sentences with 'either/or' and 'neither/nor'?

Back

When using 'either/or' or 'neither/nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, 'Neither the teacher nor the students are here.'

Front

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for titles and names?

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Titles and names that are singular take a singular verb, even if they refer to a group. For example, 'The United Nations is meeting.'

Front

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for amounts and fractions?

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When referring to amounts or fractions, the verb agrees with the noun that follows. For example, 'Two-thirds of the cake is gone.'