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, for example, 'The dog barks.'

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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, for example, 'The dogs bark.'

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

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When subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb, e.g., 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

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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, e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.'

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How does the presence of phrases like 'along with' affect subject-verb agreement?

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Phrases like 'along with', 'as well as', and 'together with' do not change the number of the subject; the verb should agree with the main subject.

Front

What is the rule for collective nouns?

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

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How does the word 'none' affect subject-verb agreement?

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

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What is the rule for indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' and 'some'?

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Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'each', and 'some' are usually treated as singular, e.g., 'Everyone is invited.'

Front

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

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Fractions and percentages take a singular verb when the noun following 'of' is singular, e.g., 'Fifty percent of the cake is gone.'