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.

Front

When do we use 'was'?

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We use 'was' with singular subjects and with the first person plural (I) in the past tense.

Front

When do we use 'were'?

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We use 'were' with plural subjects and with the second person (you) in the past tense.

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What is the rule for 'a pair of'?

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When using 'a pair of', the verb should agree with the noun that follows 'of', which is usually plural.

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What does 'neither/nor' construction imply for verb agreement?

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In a 'neither/nor' construction, the verb agrees with the nearest subject.

Front

What is the difference between 'has' and 'have'?

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'Has' is used with singular subjects, while 'have' is used with plural subjects and with 'I' and 'you'.

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How do we treat collective nouns in terms of subject-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.

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What is an example of a sentence using 'there is'?

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Example: 'There is a cat on the roof.' (singular subject)

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What is an example of a sentence using 'there are'?

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Example: 'There are three cats on the roof.' (plural subject)

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What is the rule for 'a number of'?

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'A number of' is always followed by a plural verb.