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 do we use a singular verb?

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A singular verb is used when the subject is singular (one person or thing). For example, 'The dog barks.'

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When do we use a plural verb?

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A plural verb is used when the subject is plural (more than one person or thing). For example, 'The dogs bark.'

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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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How does the presence of 'neither/nor' affect verb agreement?

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When using 'neither/nor', the verb agrees with the noun closest to it. For example, 'Neither the teacher nor the students are ready.'

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How does the presence of 'either/or' affect verb agreement?

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When using 'either/or', the verb agrees with the noun closest to it. For example, 'Either the cat or the dogs are outside.'

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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. For example, '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. For example, 'Either the cat or the dog is barking.'

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What is a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects that share the same verb. For example, 'The cat and the dog play together.'

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What is the rule for indefinite pronouns?

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Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'each', and 'someone' are considered singular and take a singular verb. For example, 'Everyone is here.'