Common Subject-Verb
Agreement Errors
Common Subject-Verb Agreement
Errors
• Subject-verb agreement, like so much of
English, is filled with exceptions to the rules.
This presentation will explain some of the
most common exceptions to standard subjectverb agreement.
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases are groups of words that
clarify the meaning of a sentence or offer
more information about the sentence.
Prepositional phrases are composed of a
preposition (of, on, around, in, at, etc.) and a
noun, pronoun, or other word that is object of
the proposition.
Prepositional Phrases
Here are some examples of prepositional
phrases (the phrases themselves are
underlined).
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The boy jumped over the log.
The girl ran around the house.
The case of bottles fell.
The boxes of flour were heavy.
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases are never the subject of a
sentence, so they do not play a role in determining
the appropriate verb. It is important to be careful
when they appear near the subject as the
prepositional phrases can cause confusion.
For each sentence, choose the correct verb:
• The basket of flowers is/are beautiful.
• The barrels of cider has/have a strong smell.
• The kids in the house was/were loud.
Prepositional Phrases
• The basket of flowers is beautiful.
Of flowers is a prepositional phrase so it cannot be part of the
subject. That means the subject is basket. Basket is singular, so
is is the correct verb.
• The barrels of cider have a strong smell.
Of cider is a prepositional phrase so it cannot be part of the
subject. That means the subject is barrels. Barrels is plural, so
have is the correct verb.
• The kids in the house were loud.
In the house is a prepositional phrase so it cannot be part of the
subject. That means the subject is kids. Kids is plural, so were is
the correct verb.
Phrases Between Subject and Verb
Another common source of error are those
sentences that contain a phrase between the
subject and verb. Examples of such sentences
are below.
• My friend, who grew up in several states, is very smart.
• Did you know my car, which is the red one over there, was
made in Germany?
• Learning English as a second language, as opposed to
growing up speaking it, can be very difficult.
Phrases Between Subject and Verb
When there is a phrase between the subject and
verb, the phrase does not become part of the
subject. The phrase should be ignored when
determining the appropriate verb.
For each sentence, choose the appropriate verb:
• My sister, who works for three companies, is/are coming
home tomorrow.
• The three players, who were at yesterday’s practice,
has/have been cut from the team.
Phrases Between Subject and Verb
• My sister, who works for three companies, is coming home
tomorrow.
Who works for three companies is a phrase between
subject and verb, so should be ignored for the purpose of
subject-verb agreement. That means the subject is sister,
and the verb is is.
• The three players, who were at yesterday’s practice, have
been cut from the team.
Who were at yesterday’s practice is a phrase between
subject and verb, so should be ignored for the purpose of
subject-verb agreement. That means the subject is players,
and the verb is have.
Other Common Subject-Verb
Agreement Errors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Everyone, anyone, each, etc.
Names of organizations and groups
Use of or
Some, none, all
Collective nouns
Misleading singular nouns
Everyone, anyone, each, etc.
Words like everyone, anyone, and each ask us
to consider a group one member at a time
instead of as a unified whole. These words are
singular.
• Everyone at the concert agrees the sound is too
loud.
• Each of the participants was asked to keep the
secret.
Names of Organizations and Groups
• The names of organizations, groups, and
nations are singular.
• The United States of America is a big country.
• The Philharmonic Orchestra was wonderful
yesterday.
Use of or
When subjects are connected by the word
“or,” the subject closer to the verb determines
its number.
• Either the pebbles or the sand is . . .
• Either the sand or the pebbles are . . .
Some, none, all
When “some,” “all,” or “none” are part of the subject,
the number of the verb matches the number of the
noun to which “some,” “all,” or “none” refers. Note
below how the subject (“sample,” “samples,” etc.)
controls the number of the verb.
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Some of the sample is contaminated.
Some of the samples are refrigerated.
All of the bone is intact.
All of his bones are broken.
None of the ground is disturbed.
None of the grounds are mowed.
Collective Nouns
“Collective” nouns (those that automatically suggest a
group) take a singular verb when the group as a whole is
meant; they take a plural verb when the group can be
thought of as individual members. Commonly used
collective nouns include “number” and “majority.” When
collective nouns refer to a singular group as a whole, they
are often preceded by “a”; when they suggest individual
members they are often preceded by “the.”
• A number of people were affected by the tragedy.
• The number of samples contaminated was two.
• A series of western blots were performed to assay protein
expression.
• The series of western analyses was found to be inconclusive.
Misleading Singular Nouns
Some nouns, even though they end in –s, are
considered singular, and so take singular
verbs. Some such nouns include:
• Branches or fields of knowledge (politics,
mathematics, physics, ethics)
• Names of food when referring to a single dish
(baked beans, mashed potatoes)
• Some diseases (mumps, measles)
Sources
Text for the following slides was taken from the John
A. Dutton e-Education Institute per a Creative
Commons License
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Everyone, anyone, each, etc.
Names of organizations and groups
Use of or
Some, none, all
Collective nouns
Information for Misleading Singular Nouns from
English Plus – Tricky Plurals