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 agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

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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.

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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.

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Example of singular subject with a singular verb.

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"The cat runs fast." (Here, 'cat' is singular, and 'runs' is the singular verb.)

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Example of plural subject with a plural verb.

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"The dogs bark loudly." (Here, 'dogs' is plural, and 'bark' is the plural verb.)

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What is a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by a conjunction that share the same verb.

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How does a compound subject affect verb agreement?

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If the compound subject is joined by 'and', it takes a plural verb. If joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the nearest subject.

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What is an example of a compound subject with a plural verb?

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"Tom and Jerry are friends." (Here, 'Tom and Jerry' is a compound subject, and 'are' is the plural verb.)

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What is an example of a compound subject with a singular verb?

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"Either the teacher or the student is responsible." (Here, 'the teacher or the student' takes the singular verb 'is'.)

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What is an indefinite pronoun?

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An indefinite pronoun refers to non-specific persons or things, such as 'everyone', 'somebody', or 'many'.