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 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 fast.'

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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 fast.'

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What is the correct verb form for 'He/She/It'?

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The correct verb form is singular, for example, 'He runs,' 'She likes,' 'It looks.'

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What is the correct verb form for 'I/You/We/They'?

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The correct verb form is plural, for example, 'I run,' 'You like,' 'We smell,' 'They play.'

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What is an example of a sentence with correct subject-verb agreement?

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'The dog barks loudly.' (singular subject and singular verb)

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What is an example of a sentence with incorrect subject-verb agreement?

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'The dogs barks loudly.' (plural subject and singular verb)

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What do we do with collective nouns like 'team' or 'group'?

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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. For example, 'The team wins' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing' (plural).

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

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When subjects are joined by 'and,' they are usually considered plural, so we use a plural verb. For example, 'Tom and Jerry run fast.'

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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, 'Neither the cat nor the dogs are here.'