Subject and Verb Agreement
Agreement in Number
A verb must agree with its subject in number.
Number is always about Singular & Plural
• Rule #1: A singular subject goes with a singular verb.
Singular subjects will not end in –s but their verbs
will.
– My dog walks outside every day.
• Rule #2: A plural subject goes with a plural verb.
Plural subjects will end in –s but their verbs will not.
– Their dogs walk outside every day.
Indefinite Pronouns
• Rule #3: Singular indefinite pronouns take singular
verbs.
– Example: Everybody gets an A!
Neither of the shirts fits.
-Every
-Any
-Some
-No
Everybody
Anybody
Somebody
nobody
Either
Everyone
Anyone
Someone
No one
Neither
Everything
Anything
Something
Nothing
Each
One
Indefinite Pronouns, cont.
• Rule #4: Plural indefinite pronouns take plural verbs.
– Example: Both of the apples are bruised.
Both
Few
Many
Several
• Rule #5: Singular or Plural: look at the noun closest
to the verb.
– Example: Most of the pudding is gone.
All of the mobiles move in the breeze.
All
Any
Most
None
Some
Compound Subjects
• Rule #6: A compound subject whose parts are joined
by and usually takes a plural verb.
– Example: George and Louise paint the deck.
• Rule #7: A compound subject whose parts are joined
by or or nor, the verb should agree with the word
closest to the verb.
– Example: Either ticket stubs or a photo completes your
collage.
Either a photo or ticket stubs complete your
collage.
Problem Subjects
• Rule #8: Some nouns end in –s or –ics look plural but
actually refer to singular concepts. Examples include
measles, politics, mechanics, mumps, news,
mathematics, and economics. When these words are
used as subjects, use a singular verb.
– Example: Politics is a hot issue right now.
Problem Subjects, cont.
• Rule #9: Subjects can often be placed in unusual
positions, such as in the form of a question, after a
sentence beginning with here or there, or after a
sentence that begins with an adjective, adverb, or
phrase. Reorder the words in statement form to
determine whether the verb should be singular or
plural.
– Example: There (was, were) a tiny rabbit.
Reorder: A tiny rabbit (was, were) there.
Unusual ordered subjects need to be reworded.