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?

Back

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?

Back

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 correct verb form for collective nouns like 'jury'?

Back

Collective nouns like 'jury' are treated as singular when they act as a single unit, so the correct verb form is singular (e.g., 'The jury reaches a verdict').

Front

How does the presence of phrases like 'each of' affect verb agreement?

Back

Phrases like 'each of' are followed by a singular verb because they refer to individual members of a group, not the group as a whole.

Front

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

Back

When subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb (e.g., 'The cat and dog are playing').

Front

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

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready').

Front

How does the word 'none' affect verb agreement?

Back

The word 'none' can be singular or plural depending on the context. Use a singular verb if 'none' refers to a singular noun (e.g., 'None of the cake is left') and a plural verb if it refers to a plural noun (e.g., 'None of the players are here').

Front

What is the correct verb form for uncountable nouns like 'coffee'?

Back

Uncountable nouns like 'coffee' take a singular verb (e.g., 'The coffee is cold').

Front

What is the correct verb form for the word 'family'?

Back

The word 'family' is a collective noun and is treated as singular when referring to the group as a whole (e.g., 'The family has a new car').