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 with its verb. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

Front

When do you use a singular verb?

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A singular verb is used when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea. For example, 'The dog barks.'

Front

When do you use a plural verb?

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A plural verb is used when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea. For example, 'The dogs bark.'

Front

What is the 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. For example, 'The team wins' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing' (plural).

Front

How does the presence of phrases affect subject-verb agreement?

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Phrases that come between the subject and verb do not change the number of the subject. For example, 'The bouquet of flowers is beautiful' (the subject is 'bouquet', which is singular).

Front

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

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When two subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb. For example, 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

Front

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

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.'

Front

What is the rule for indefinite pronouns?

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Indefinite pronouns such as 'everyone', 'each', and 'someone' are considered singular and take singular verbs. For example, 'Everyone is invited to the party.'

Front

What is the exception for the indefinite pronoun 'both'?

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The indefinite pronoun 'both' is plural and takes a plural verb. For example, 'Both of the cars are new.'

Front

How does the word 'none' affect verb agreement?

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The word 'none' can be singular or plural depending on the context. For example, 'None of the cake is left' (singular) vs. 'None of the cookies are left' (plural).