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 match the verb in number (singular or plural).

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When do we use 'is'?

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We use 'is' with singular subjects, such as 'The cat is sleeping.'

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When do we use 'are'?

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We use 'are' with plural subjects, such as 'The cats are sleeping.'

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What is a singular subject?

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A singular subject refers to one person, place, thing, or idea, like 'The dog' or 'The book.'

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What is a plural subject?

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A plural subject refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea, like 'The dogs' or 'The books.'

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What is an example of a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by 'and' or 'or', like 'Lisa and her brother.'

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How does 'or' affect subject-verb agreement?

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When using 'or', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it, e.g., 'Lisa or her brother is going to feed the horses.'

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What is the rule for subjects that are 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, e.g., 'The team is winning' vs. 'The team are arguing among themselves.'

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What is an example of a subject that requires a singular verb?

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An example is 'The kitten is very soft.' Here, 'kitten' is singular.

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What is an example of a subject that requires a plural verb?

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An example is 'The owls sleep in the day.' Here, 'owls' is plural.