Subject Verb Agreement II

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What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

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Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree 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.'

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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.'

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What is the rule for 'Either...or' constructions?

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In 'Either...or' constructions, the verb agrees with the noun closest to it. For example, 'Either the girls or the boy walks.'

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What is the rule for 'Neither...nor' constructions?

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In 'Neither...nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the noun closest to it. For example, 'Neither the dogs nor the cat is hungry.'

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What does 'Both' indicate in terms of subject-verb agreement?

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'Both' indicates a plural subject, so we use a plural verb. For example, 'Both of the dogs have collars.'

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What does 'Each' indicate in terms of subject-verb agreement?

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'Each' is considered singular, so we use a singular verb. For example, 'Each of the students is responsible.'

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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 one unit or as individuals. For example, 'The team wins' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing' (plural).

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What is the subject in the sentence: 'The group of students is studying'?

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The subject is 'group,' which is singular, so we use 'is'.

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What is the subject in the sentence: 'The students in the class are excited'?

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The subject is 'students,' which is plural, so we use 'are.'