Subject-verb agreement: Intervening words and phrases
Most students understand that a verb must agree with its subject in number (singular or plural),
yet problems of subject-verb agreement are common in college writing assignments. There are
several pitfalls to be avoided in making subjects and verbs agree. This week’s tip deals with the
problem of words and phrases that appear between the verb and its subject; these intervening
words and phrases often cause subject-verb agreement errors.
Identify the errors in the following sentences. The answers appear at the end of this e-mail. Note
that one sentence is correct.
1. A bag of groceries are sitting on the kitchen table.
2. The woman who owns these cats is very friendly.
3. The people who own this cat is very friendly.
4. The cities we visited, including Paris, is world-famous.
To ensure that your verbs agree with their subjects, you must first determine the subject of the
sentence. If it is singular, the verb will be singular as well, regardless of any intervening words
or phrases. The verb will be plural if the subject is plural, even if there are singular nouns that
intervene.
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ANSWERS:
1. A bag of groceries is sitting on the kitchen table.

The subject of the sentence is bag, not groceries. The verb should be singular to
match the singular subject.
2. This sentence is correct as written.

The subject of the sentence is woman, so the singular verb is correct.
3. The people who own this cat are very friendly.

The subject of the sentence, people, is plural, and requires a plural verb. Though
cat immediately precedes the verb, it is not the verb’s subject.
4. The cities we visited, including Paris, are world-famous.

The subject of the sentence, cities, is plural. The phrase including Paris does not
change the number of the subject, despite the fact that Paris is singular.