Grammar Essentials — Subject-Verb Agreement
Definition
Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Errors in subject-verb agreement are among the most common grammar mistakes in English writing and can make even intelligent writing look careless and unprofessional.
Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement
Rule 1: A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Singular subjects use verbs that often end in -s or -es in the present tense. Plural subjects use the base form of the verb. This is the opposite of nouns, where -s makes a noun plural.
Examples
1. SINGULAR: The student studies in the library every evening. / PLURAL: The students study in the library every evening.
2. SINGULAR: The company requires all new employees to complete training. / PLURAL: The companies require all new employees to complete training.
3. SINGULAR: She speaks three languages fluently. / PLURAL: They speak three languages fluently.
4. SINGULAR: The dog runs five miles with its owner each morning. / PLURAL: The dogs run five miles with their owner each morning.
5. SINGULAR: This report shows a decrease in quarterly revenue. / PLURAL: These reports show a decrease in quarterly revenue.
Rule 2: Ignore phrases between the subject and verb.
Phrases that come between the subject and verb — such as prepositional phrases beginning with ‘of,’ ‘in,’ ‘with,’ ‘along with,’ ‘as well as,’ ‘together with,’ etc. — do not affect subject-verb agreement. Find the true subject and match the verb to it.
Examples
1. The box of chocolates was a gift from her grandmother. (Subject: ‘box’ — singular, not ‘chocolates’)
2. The professor, along with several research assistants, is presenting at the conference. (Subject: ‘professor’ — singular)
3. The members of the committee have voted to approve the new budget. (Subject: ‘members’ — plural, not ‘committee’)
4. A collection of rare coins was found in the attic of the old house. (Subject: ‘collection’ — singular)
5. The results of the experiment were surprising to the entire research team. (Subject: ‘results’ — plural)
Rule 3: Indefinite pronouns — singular and plural rules.
Certain indefinite pronouns are always singular: everyone, everyone, someone, anyone, no one, everybody, somebody, anybody, nobody, each, either, neither, one. Certain pronouns are always plural: both, few, many, several, others. Some pronouns can be singular or plural depending on context: all, most, some, none, any.
Examples
1. Everyone in the office is required to attend the safety training session. (Everyone = singular)
2. Neither of the candidates has sufficient experience for this position. (Neither = singular)
3. Several of the students have already submitted their final papers. (Several = plural)
4. Each of the apartments comes with a dedicated parking space. (Each = singular)
5. Some of the funding was misallocated. / Some of the funds were misallocated. (Some = depends on the noun that follows)
Rule 4: Compound subjects joined by ‘and’ are usually plural.
When two subjects are joined by ‘and,’ they generally form a plural subject and require a plural verb. Exception: when the two subjects refer to the same person or thing, or are preceded by ‘each’ or ‘every,’ use a singular verb.
Examples
1. PLURAL: The manager and the supervisor are both responsible for approving the request.
2. PLURAL: Dedication and hard work are essential qualities for success in any field.
3. SINGULAR (same person): The lead singer and guitarist is performing a solo set tonight.
4. SINGULAR (each/every): Every employee and manager is expected to complete the annual evaluation.
5. PLURAL: Bread and butter, though a simple combination, are staples of the American diet.
Rule 5: Subjects joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’ — match the verb to the nearer subject.
When subjects are connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor,’ the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. This is called the proximity rule.
Examples
1. Either the manager or the employees are responsible for this mistake. (Closer subject: ’employees’ — plural)
2. Either the employees or the manager is responsible for this mistake. (Closer subject: ‘manager’ — singular)
3. Neither the students nor the professor was aware of the schedule change. (Closer subject: ‘professor’ — singular)
4. Neither the professor nor the students were prepared for the exam results. (Closer subject: ‘students’ — plural)
5. Either a full refund or replacement items are available to affected customers. (Closer subject: ‘replacement items’ — plural)
Extended Dialogue: Subject-Verb Agreement in Editing
Setting: A community college writing lab. A tutor, Ben, is helping an adult learner, Fatima, who has returned to school after fifteen years away and is working on a business writing assignment.
Ben: Fatima, your business letter is coming along really well. The content is strong. I just want to help you with a few grammatical issues before you turn it in. The main pattern I’m seeing is subject-verb agreement errors. Are you familiar with that concept?
Fatima: I remember learning it in school a long time ago, but I’m honestly a little rusty.
Ben: No problem — it is one of those things that takes practice. Let’s look at the first sentence: ‘The results of our annual customer survey shows a significant increase in satisfaction.’ Can you identify the subject?
Fatima: Is it ‘results’?
Ben: Exactly. And ‘results’ is plural. So what verb form do we need?
Fatima: Oh — ‘show,’ not ‘shows.’ The ‘of our annual customer survey’ part confused me. I was thinking about ‘survey’ when I wrote the verb.
Ben: That is the most common reason people make this mistake! The phrase ‘of our annual customer survey’ comes between the subject and the verb. It is just extra information. You have to mentally skip it and connect the subject directly to the verb. Try this trick: put parentheses around the phrase and read the sentence without it. ‘The results show a significant increase’ — easy to see now, right?
Fatima: Yes! That makes it so clear. I’m going to use that strategy.
Ben: Good. Now look at this sentence: ‘Either the department heads or the director are going to present the quarterly findings.’ The subject is connected by ‘either…or.’ Do you know the rule for that?
Fatima: I don’t, actually.
Ben: When you use ‘or’ or ‘nor’ to connect two subjects, the verb agrees with the subject that is closest to it. Here, ‘the director’ is closest to the verb ‘are going to present.’ Since ‘the director’ is singular, you need ‘is going to present.’
Fatima: So: ‘Either the department heads or the director is going to present the quarterly findings.’
Ben: Exactly right. Now, one more. You wrote: ‘Everyone on the three regional teams have been notified.’ ‘Everyone’ — singular or plural?
Fatima: It feels like plural because you’re talking about a lot of people…
Ben: I know, it’s counterintuitive! But ‘everyone’ is always grammatically singular in English. Think of it as meaning ‘every single one’ — one at a time. So the verb should be ‘has been notified,’ not ‘have been notified.’
Fatima: That is tricky. I will have to memorize that. Are there others like ‘everyone’?
Ben: Yes — ‘someone,’ ‘anyone,’ ‘no one,’ ‘everybody,’ ‘somebody,’ ‘anybody,’ ‘nobody,’ ‘each,’ ‘either,’ and ‘neither’ are all singular, even though they might feel plural.
Fatima: I’m writing all of these down. I had no idea how many rules there were around something that seems so basic.
Ben: English grammar is full of those surprises! But the good news is these patterns become automatic with practice. After a while, incorrect subject-verb agreement will just start to sound wrong to your ear, and that instinct is incredibly powerful for a writer.
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