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 should a singular verb be used?

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A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, such as 'The cat runs fast.'

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When should a plural verb be used?

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A plural verb should be used when the subject is plural, such as 'The cats run fast.'

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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, e.g., '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, e.g., 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.'

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

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With 'neither/nor', the verb should agree with the nearest subject, e.g., 'Neither my dad nor my mom knows how to speak another language.'

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

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With 'either/or', the verb should agree with the nearest subject, e.g., 'Either the dog or the cats are outside.'

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What is the rule for collective nouns?

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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 team wins' vs. 'The team are arguing among themselves.'

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What is the rule for subjects that are uncountable?

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Uncountable nouns take singular verbs, e.g., 'The information is useful.'

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What is the rule for subjects that are plural but refer to a single entity?

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Subjects that are plural but refer to a single entity take singular verbs, e.g., 'The United States is a country.'