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 do we use a singular verb?

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A singular verb is used when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

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When do we use a plural verb?

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A plural verb is used when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

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

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When two subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb.

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What is the rule for compound subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject that is closest to it.

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Example of subject-verb agreement with 'and':

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Example: "The cat and the dog are playing outside." (plural verb 'are')

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Example of subject-verb agreement with 'or':

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Example: "Either the teacher or the students are responsible for the project." (plural verb 'are')

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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 is acting as a single unit or as individuals.

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Example of collective noun with singular verb:

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Example: "The team wins the championship." (singular verb 'wins')

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Example of collective noun with plural verb:

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Example: "The team are arguing among themselves." (plural verb 'are')