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 and verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural).

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When do you use a singular verb?

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A singular verb is used when the subject is singular (e.g., 'The cat runs').

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When do you use a plural verb?

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A plural verb is used when the subject is plural (e.g., 'The cats run').

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What is a compound subject?

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A compound subject consists of two or more subjects joined by a conjunction (e.g., 'Ken and his brother').

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How does a compound subject affect verb agreement?

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A compound subject usually takes a plural verb (e.g., 'Ken and his brother are home').

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What is an intervening phrase?

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An intervening phrase is a group of words that comes between the subject and the verb but does not affect the subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'The singers, as well as the dancers, worked hard').

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What is a collective noun?

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A collective noun refers to a group of individuals or things considered as a single unit (e.g., 'The band').

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How does a collective noun affect verb agreement?

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Collective nouns can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals (e.g., 'The band sings' vs. 'The band are arguing').

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What is the rule for subjects joined by 'neither/nor'?

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When subjects are joined by 'neither/nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (e.g., 'Neither Ken nor his brother is home').

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What is the rule for subjects joined by 'either/or'?

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When subjects are joined by 'either/or', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (e.g., 'Either the dog or the cats are outside').