Subject-Verb Agreement

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What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

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Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must match the verb in number (singular or plural).

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When do we use a singular verb?

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We use a singular verb when the subject is singular (one person or thing). For example, 'The cat runs fast.'

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When do we use a plural verb?

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We use a plural verb when the subject is plural (more than one person or thing). For example, 'The cats run fast.'

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What is the correct verb form for 'Both taxis and buses _____ at this corner in the morning'?

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The correct verb form is 'stop' because 'taxis' and 'buses' are plural.

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What is the correct verb form for 'Everyone _____ extremely hungry'?

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The correct verb form is 'is' because 'everyone' is treated as a singular subject.

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What is the correct verb form for 'Frank (doesn't, don't) know the answer'?

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The correct verb form is 'doesn't' because 'Frank' is a singular subject.

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What is the correct verb form for 'Mr. Richie or his children _____ brownies for the birthday party'?

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The correct verb form is 'are making' because 'children' is plural.

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What is the correct verb form for 'She ___ one of the brightest students in the class'?

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The correct verb form is 'is' because 'she' is a singular subject.

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What is a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by 'and' or 'or'. For example, 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

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What happens when subjects are joined by 'or'?

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When subjects are joined by 'or', the verb agrees with the nearest subject. For example, 'Either the dog or the cats are outside.'