Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement

by Liam Egan

​Making your Subjects & Verbs Agree

​This lesson gives you several guidelines to help your subjects and verbs agree.

​1

​1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.

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​She and her friends are at the fair.

Fill in the Blank

Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school.

​2

​When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by OR or NOR, use a singular verb.

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​The book or the pen is in the drawer.

Fill in the Blank

Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.

​3

​When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by OR or NOR, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.

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• The boy OR his friends run every day.

• His friend OR the boy runs every day

Fill in the Blank

The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.

Fill in the Blank

Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.

​4

​Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.

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• He doesn't like it.

• They don't like it.

Fill in the Blank

George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.

Fill in the Blank

Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer.

​5

​Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.

• One of the boxes is open

• The people who listen to that music are few.

• The team captain, as well as his players, is anxious.

• The book, including all the chapters in the first section, is boring.

• The woman with all the dogs walks down my street.

Fill in the Blank

One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.

Fill in the Blank

The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.

Fill in the Blank

The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch.

Fill in the Blank

The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.

​6

​The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.

• Each of these hot dogs is juicy.

• Everybody knows Mr. Jones.

• Either is correct.

Fill in the Blank

Either answer (is, are) acceptable.

Fill in the Blank

Every one of those books (is, are) fiction.

Fill in the Blank

Nobody (know, knows) the trouble I've seen.

7

​Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.

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• The news is on at six.

​Note

​The word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

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• Five dollars is a lot of money.

• Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia.

Fill in the Blank

(Is, Are) the news on at five or six?

Fill in the Blank

Mathematics (is, are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (is, are) Andrea's favorite subject.

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Eight dollars (is, are) the price of a movie these days.

8

​Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

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• These scissors are dull.

• Those trousers are made of wool.

Fill in the Blank

(Is, Are) the tweezers in this drawer?

Fill in the Blank

Your pants (is, are) at the cleaner's.

​9

​In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.

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• There are many questions.

• There is a question.

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There (was, were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is, are) only one left!

​9

​Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as group, team, committee, class, and family.

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• The team runs during practice.

• The committee decides how to proceed.

• The family has a long history.

• My family has never been able to agree.

• The crew is preparing to dock the ship.

Fill in the Blank

The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.

Fill in the Blank

The committee members (leads, lead) very different lives in private.

​10

​Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

• The President, accompanied by his wife, is travelling to India.

• All of the books, including yours, are in that box.

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Fill in the Blank

The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets, greet) the press cordially.

Fill in the Blank

All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.