Subject Verb Agreement Indefinite Pronoun

Subject - Verb Agreement

by Duyen Le

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Singular Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns stand in for nouns that are unknown, unclear or uncountable. They can be singular or plural, depending on what nouns they are replacing. Here are some examples of subject-verb agreement with singular indefinite pronouns:

• Each gets a trophy for playing.

• Somebody will pay for this.

• Anybody is more fun than you.

• Something feels very wrong here.

• Everybody enjoys a good book.

• Nothing has been determined as of yet.

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Plural Indefinite Pronouns

When indefinite pronouns replace plural nouns, they require plural verbs. Examples of subject-verb agreement with plural indefinite pronouns include:

• Both are qualified for the job.

• Many went to the beach and got sunburned.

• Few know what it really takes to get ahead.

• Several are already on location.

• Some sugar is required for taste. (sugar is uncountable so singular verb used)

• Most of the cookies were eaten. (cookies are countable so plural verb used)

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"Someone" and "Anyone" Take Singular Verbs

Theindefinite pronouns"anyone," "each," "everyone," "no one," "nobody," and "someone" are singular. For example:

• I hope that while so many people are out smelling the flowers,

• The supreme irony of life is that hardly

• Nobody is ever met at the airport when beginning a new adventure. (Author Elizabeth Warnock Fernea)

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Be careful. Look at these examples:

• No one knows what he can do till he tries. (Latin writer Publilius Syrus)

• (Why "he"?)

• If

• (Why "his"?)

• Anyone who forgets his passport will be sent home.

• (Why "his"?)

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If you have to use a possessive determiner (e.g., "his," "her") in the same sentence, problems start to arise. What if the person isn't male? The English language doesn't handle this well, but here are two options:

• Anyone who forgets his or her passport will be sent home.

• (This is acceptable, but it's clumsy)

• Anyone who forgets their passport will be sent home.

• (Even though, "their" is plural. This is considered preferable to using "his" or "his or her." It is called a "singular they/their.")

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(Issue 2) "All" and "Some" Can Take a Singular or a Plural Verb

The indefinite pronouns "all," "any," "more," "most," and "some" are singular when they refer to something singular but plural when they refer to something plural. For example:

• All of the bread has been stolen.

• ("Bread" is singular, so "all" is treated as singular.)

• All of the cakes have been stolen.

• ("Cakes" is plural, so "all" is treated as plural.)

• My theory is that

• ("Cuisine" is singular, so "all" is treated as singular.)

• ​Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts. (Singer Jim Morrison)

• ("Mistakes" is plural, so "some" is treated as plural.)

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"Number Of" Takes a Plural Verb...Most of the Time

If it helps, you can think of "number" as following the same rules as "all" and "some" (see Issue 2 above). Therefore, the term "a number of" will nearly always be plural because theobject of the preposition"of" (i.e., the word that follows it) will be plural. For example:

• A

• Lee, a

Beware though because "number" can be a singular noun referring to an arithmetical value.

• The

• The

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Terms Like "Half Of," "the Majority Of," and "a Percentage Of" Can Be Singular or Plural

Expressions such as "half of," "a part of," "a percentage of," "a proportion of," and "a majority of" are singular when they refer to something singular but plural when they refer to something plural. For example:

• Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than

• Half of the world knows not how the other half lives. (Poet George Herbert)

• Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation. (Politician Henry Kissinger)

• My guess is that well over

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(Issue 5) "None" Can Take a Singular or Plural Verb

The indefinite pronoun "none" can be singular or plural. However, be aware that treating "none" as plural might irk some of your readers as many people believe "none" can only be singular. For example:

• None of the team is ready.

• None of the team are ready.

Here's a tip: If your "none" translates best as "not one of," then treat it as singular. If it translates best as "not any of," then treat it as plural. If this doesn't work for your example, then try to treat it as singular. If the singular version sounds wrong, be brave and go for plural.Also, keep an eye out for the problem with "his/her/their" (see Issue 1 above). Look at this example:

• None of the team has polished their boots.

• (This acceptable, but it's untidy.)

As you often have the choice whether to treat "none" as singular or plural, you can avoid this untidiness.

• None of the team have polished their boots.

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(Issue 6) The Words after "As Well As" Are Not Part of the Subject

The words that follow terms like "as well as," "along with," and "together with" are not part of the subject. They do not compound the subject like "and" does. For example:

• The king along with his sons is visiting tomorrow.

• The king and his sons are visiting tomorrow.

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(Issue 7) "Either" and "Neither" Are Singular

Thepronouns"either" and "neither" take singular verbs. This often causes confusion because they naturally refer to two things. For example:

• I'm not keen on beef or lamb, but

• Neither of the sisters is eligible to attend.

(Issue 8) "Or" Does Not Con

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(Issue 8) "Or" Does Not Conjoin

Unlike "and," the conjunctions "or" and " nor" do not conjoin. For example:

• The king or his daughter is visiting tomorrow.

• The king and his daughter are visiting tomorrow.

• Neither

• (This should be "is.")

• It's very tasty as it is. Neither

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The pairings "either/or" and "neither/nor" demand a singular verb when both elements (shaded) are singular, but a plural verb when one of them is plural. For example:

• Either

• (The elements (shaded) are both singular. Therefore, the verb is singular.)

• Neither

• (Here, one of the elements ("cakes") is plural. Therefore, the verb is plural.)

Let's call this the "Logic Rule." Be aware that is another well-followed rule called the "Proximity Rule," which offers different guidance. Under the Proximity Rule, the verb is determined by the nearest element to the verb. For example:

• Neither

• (Here, the nearest element ("chocolate") is singular. Therefore, the verb is singular. Under the "Logic Rule," this would be wrong as "cakes" is plural.)

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(Issue 9) Beware Modifiers between the Subject and the Verb

Sometimes modifiers (shown in blue) get between a subject and its verb. Do not let these words interfere with the subject-verb agreement.

• A crate of sardines is more expensive than I thought.

• ("A crate" is singular. The modifiers "of sardines" does not affect the verb. Therefore, "is" is correct.)

• Simon, who is the oldest of the four brothers and who, just as he did before last year's contest, has been suffering back spasms, is expected to take the first leg.

• ("Simon" agrees with "is." The modifier is long, but be sure to track back to the subject to ensure the verb agrees with it.)

• A container of nuts and bolts were found in the cellar.

• ("A container" is singular. The verb should be "was." Remember that "of nuts and bolts" is just a modifier. It does not affect the verb.)

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(Issue 10) A List of Words That Cause Confusion

The words listed below often cause singular/plural confusion.

Word	Singular or Plural?
Agenda	Singular (even though it is the plural of "agendum") Read more about "agenda" being singular.
Criteria	Plural (Unlike "data" and "agendum," "criteria" has retained its plural status because the singular "criterion" is still in common usage.) Read more about "criteria" being plural.

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Word	Singular or Plural?	​
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	Data	Mostly singular nowadays (even though it is the plural of "datum") Read more about "data" being singular.
​	Glasses	Plural (Note: "Pair of glasses" is singular.)
​	Measles	Singular
​	Media	Singular or Plural (Treat "media" like a collective noun as opposed to the plural of "medium.")

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News	Singular
Pliers	Plural (Note: "Pair of pliers" is singular.)
Scissors	Plural (Note: "Pair of scissors" is singular.)
Underpants	Plural (Note: "Pair of underpants" is singular.)

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(Issue 11) Collective Nouns Can be Singular or Plural Acollective nounis a word that represents a group (e.g., "board," "team," "jury"). A collective noun can be singular or plural depending on the sense of the sentence. Look at these two examples. The jury is late returning to the courtroom. (Here, "the jury" is singular because it is considered as one unit.) The jury are all wearing different coloured shirts. (This time, "the jury" is plural because we're focused on the individuals.) Often, it is difficult to make a decision on whether to opt for singular or plural. A good trick is to precede your collective noun with words like "members of," forcing you to go plural. For example: The members of the jury are late returning to the courtroom.

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Collective Nouns Collective nouns, which are words that represent groups of nouns, are typically singular in American English. Here are some examples of subject-verb agreement examples with collective nouns: The committee meets here every Thursday. The crowd is getting angry. The jury has finally reached a decision. The majority rules most of the time. The staff has gone their separate ways for the holidays.

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(Issue 12) The Term "More Than One" Is Singular! Somewhat counter-intuitively, the expression "more than one" takes a singular verb. For example: More than one person was involved in this robbery. More than one swallow does a summer make, doesn't it? All I can say is that more than one of you have promised to return after the break.

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(Issue 13) The Positive Element Governs the Verb When a subject is made up of a positive element and a negative element, the positive one governs the verb. For example: The CEO not the board members makes the final decision. (Positive element is "the CEO." The negative element is "board members." The positive one is singular, hence "makes.") The kitchen has confirmed that the fish not the prawns was responsible for the vomiting outbreak. (The positive element is "the fish." The negative element is "the prawns." "The fish" governs the verb, hence "was.")

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Noun Phrase as Subject Subject-verb agreement isn't so hard when the subject and verb are next to each other. But what about when the subject is actually a noun phrase? You still need to determine whether the subject is singular or plural. Subject-verb agreement examples with noun phrases include: A theory of physics ascertains that a body in motion stays in motion. A virus in all the company’s computers is a real threat to security. The causes of this prevalent disease are bad diet and lack of exercise. The couch and chair I got at the store look really nice in here. The members of the choir are very happy with the performance

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Inverted Subjects When subjects appear after verbs in the sentence, they're known as inverted subjects. Some subject-verb agreement examples with inverted subjects where the subject follows the verb: There are seven clean plates in the dining room. There is a hair in my lasagna. Over the rainbow flies a bird. How are the employees enjoying the new building? A good gift is a gift card.

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(Issue 10) A List of Words That Cause Confusion

The words listed below often cause singular/plural confusion.

Word	Singular or Plural?
Agenda	Singular (even though it is the plural of "agendum") Read more about "agenda" being singular.
Criteria	Plural (Unlike "data" and "agendum," "criteria" has retained its plural status because the singular "criterion" is still in common usage.) Read more about "criteria" being plural.
Data	Mostly singular nowadays (even though it is the plural of "datum") Read more about "data" being singular.
Glasses	Plural (Note: "Pair of glasses" is singular.)