B3.1
ACADEMIC SKILLS CENTRE, DAWSON COLLEGE
SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT
GENERAL RULES
A subject and its verb must agree in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be in
singular form. It is important to recognize the actual subject of the sentence.
A singular subject must have a singular verb.
ex.
The cat, like its wild ancestors, is a skillful hunter.
A plural subject must have a plural verb.
ex.
Dolphins, like whales, are marine mammals.
Two or more subjects joined by and take a plural verb.
ex.
My aunt and uncle, who live in Ottawa, are both teachers.
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS:
The following words are singular and therefore take a singular verb.
every
everybody
everyone
somebody
someone
something
nobody
no one
none
anybody
anyone
anything
neither
either
each one
ex.
Either the salesman or the manager has made a mistake.
Everyone in that class is working hard.
Neither Jim nor his wife spends much money.
I tried on all these hats but none fits.
Indefinite pronouns such as all and many take plural nouns.
ex.
All are welcome.
Many succeed.
The indefinite pronoun most can take either a singular or a plural verb:
ex.
Many people try, and most succeed.
Some water is pure, but most is not.
Titles, even if phrased as plurals, take a singular verb.
ex.
Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens.
Damn Yankees was a Broadway musical.
Several countries have names which are plural, but these take a singular verb
ex.
The United States is a wealthy nation.
The Netherlands has many canals.
Collective nouns (words that represent groups) take singular verbs when the group is
considered a unit, e.g. a government, a crowd, an audience, a team, an army, a committee, etc.
ex.
The crowd at the stadium was cheering loudly.
The basketball team is going to Vancouver.
The jury is going to reach a verdict.
Units of money, time, mass, and measurement when considered as one thing take a singular
verb.
ex.
Five miles is not too far to walk.
Ten dollars is too much to pay for a movie.
Two hours is too long to wait.
Most nouns which are plural in form but singular in meaning (such as economics, measles,
statistics, news) take singular verbs.
ex.
Physics is Joan's favorite subject.
Measles is a common childhood disease.
The news about the war is censored.
Two or more subjects joined by or or nor take a singular verb.
ex.
The doctor or his secretary is expected shortly.
ASC 2003