Presents:
The Dirty Dozen
Workshop Series
Workshop
Three:
Subject/Verb
Agreement
Which sentence is
correct?
Packing your own lunches save money.
Packing your own lunches saves money.
Packing your own lunches save money.
Packing your own lunches saves money.
Why?
“Lunches” may look like the subject, but
actually “Packing your own lunches” is
what saves money, not the lunches
themselves. Whenever such a verb phrase
serves as the subject, consider it singular.
Why does knowing the subject to be singular or plural matter?
Rule of thumb: The subject
and verb of each clause must
agree in number.
What do we mean by
“agree” & “number”?
When we talk about agreement, we mean making sure subjects
and verbs agree in number— and in English, there are only two
numbers: singular and plural.
So, if you have a singular subject, you
will need a singular verb. If you have a
plural subject, you need a plural verb.
Singular
Subject
Singular
Verb
Plural
Subject
Plural
Verb
Correct!
Correct!
Let’s take a closer look at those two sentences…
Packing your own lunches save money.
Packing your own lunches saves money.
The subject of each sentence is “Packing your own
lunches.” This subject is singular; therefore, the verb
must also be singular.
“Saves” is a singular verb — in the present tense.
Most subject/verb agreement errors occur when
dealing with these verbs. Why? Because we intuitively
think of s and es as plural.
Tip: To determine whether a verb is singular
or plural, ask which form of the verb you
would use after the subject it and which form
you would use with the subject they.
Like this:
It eats, sleeps, runs, wishes, has dreamed,
is loving
They eat, sleep, run, wish, have dreamed,
are loving
In other words…
•
“It” uses singular verbs.
•
“They” uses plural verbs.
There are many rules of
subject-verb agreement.
Let’s look at them, starting
with the most common.
A subject and a verb must agree,
even when other words or phrases
come between them.
Example:
The flock of geese is flying south
for the winter.
The subject is “flock,” so the verb should be “is
flying.” Ignore the prepositional phrase “of geese”
when determining verb number.
Subjects joined by “and”
usually take a plural verb.
Example: Dave and Bree are going on a date.
Exception: For phrases like “each girl and boy” or
“every cat and bird,” where the subjects are considered
individually, use a singular verb.
Each actor and actress has a
line in the play.
Collective nouns can either be
singular or plural, depending on
the context of the sentence.
Pssst! Collective nouns are words that
refer to groups of people or things
(e.g. class, family, jury, herd).
Rule of thumb:
If the context of the sentence makes
you visualize the group doing
something together, as one unit,
then the noun is singular and takes a
singular verb.
If you visualize different members
of the group performing different
actions, then the noun is plural and
takes a plural verb.
Examples:
The group agrees that new curtains
would improve the space.
(The group is acting as a unit, so the
word group is singular.)
The old group have gone their
separate ways.
(The group members are acting
individually, so the word group is plural.)
The indefinite pronouns all, any,
more, most, none, and some can be
either singular or plural,
depending on whether the word
they refer to is singular or plural.
Examples:
All of the cupcake batter is poured
into a greased pan.
(Here, “all” refers to “batter,” which is singular.)
All of the cupcakes are topped with
cream cheese frosting.
(Here, “all” refers to “cupcakes,” which is plural.)
The indefinite pronouns each, either,
every, much, and neither require
singular verbs.
Example:
Each of us has enormous
potential to succeed in life.
The indefinite pronouns both, few,
many, and several take plural verbs.
Example:
Both of us have enormous
potential to succeed in life.
The verb must agree with its
subject even when the subject
follows the verb.
Questions, sentences beginning with here or
there, and sometimes sentences beginning with
a prepositional phrase place the subject after
the verb.
Examples:
Is success measured by people’s wealth or
their happiness?
Are wealth and happiness the same thing?
Out of the boat jumped the fish.
Here are my car keys.
There is my uncle’s house.
Subjects that look plural (because
they end in s) but refer to only one
thing are singular.
Examples:
The lens is broken.
Economics is a field of study.
Psst! Many nouns ending in –ics (economics, statistics, and politics)
take singular or plural verbs, depending on how they are used.
Some nouns (such as glasses, pliers,
scissors, and pants) are considered
plural unless they are preceded by the
phrase pair of.
Example:
My pants require tailoring.
This pair of pants requires
tailoring.
With subjects joined by or or nor, the verb
should agree with the subject closer to it.
Examples:
Neither the principal nor the
teachers like the new budget cuts.
Either her brothers or Tammy waters
the front lawn every day.
Psst! For a more natural-sounding sentence, place the
plural part of a compound subject second. Example: Either
Tammy or her brothers water the front lawn every day.
Which verb correctly completes
this sentence? Remember, watch
out for prepositional phrases
between subjects and verbs.
The sale of apples and pears
(accounts/account) for a large
amount of the farmer’s income.
The sale of apples and pears accounts for
a large amount of the farmer’s income.
The sale of apples and pears account for
a large amount of the farmer’s income.
Remember rule #1: A subject and a verb must
agree even when other words or phrases come
between them. Frequently, prepositional phrases
come between subjects and verbs. Ignore these
prepositional phrases.
In the following pairs, one
sentence is correct, and the
other sentence has a subjectverb agreement error. Which
sentence is correct?
A) My collection of silver spoons and tea
sets often impresses others.
B) My collection of silver spoons and tea
sets often impress others.
A) My collection of silver spoons
and tea sets often impresses others.
B) My collection of silver spoons
and tea sets often impress others.
Why?
The subject is collection, which is a singular noun, so the
verb must be singular. The correct verb is impresses.
Remember, the object of the preposition (silver spoons
and tea sets) is never the subject of the sentence.
In the following pairs, one
sentence is correct, and the
other sentence has a subjectverb agreement error. Which
sentence is correct?
A) However, there is more luxurious
accommodations in this hotel.
B) However, there are more luxurious
accommodations in this hotel.
A) However, there is more luxurious
accommodations in this hotel.
B) However, there are more luxurious
accommodations in this hotel.
Why?
Remember rule #7: The verb must agree with its
subject even when the subject follows the verb.
Questions, sentences beginning with here or there,
and sometimes sentences beginning with a
prepositional phrase, place the subject after the verb.
Example: Here are several ideas.
In the following pairs, one
sentence is correct, and the
other sentence has a subjectverb agreement error. Which
sentence is correct?
A) The pole and bait you need for
fishing is already on the dock.
B) The pole and bait you need for
fishing are already on the dock.
A) The pole and bait you need for
fishing is already on the dock.
B) The pole and bait you need for
fishing are already on the dock.
Why?
Remember rule #2: Here the subject is
compound (the pole and bait), which makes it
plural. Therefore, the verb must also be plural.
These Dirty Dozen Workshops are
available online at the Writing Center’s
website in two exciting formats:
Workshop Presentation PDFs
Under “Handouts,” we have posted pdfs of the
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We have been making short videos that recap each
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For appointments, resources, handouts and more, visit:
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Join us next time…
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Errors