Subject-Verb
Agreement
The Rules
Rule #18a
 A word that refers to one person, place,
thing, or idea is singular in number. A
word that refers to more than one is
plural in number.
 Sing.: book, theory, either, it, one, city
 Plural: books, theories, both, they, two, cities
 Both nouns and pronouns have number.
Rule #18b
 A verb should agree in number with its
subject.
 Singular subjects take singular verbs.
 In her spare time, the lawyer tutors college
students.
 Is the next essay assignment due soon?
 Plural subjects take plural verbs.
 In their spare time, the lawyers tutor college
students.
 Are the next essay assignments due soon?
Rule #18b (continued)
 When a gerund phrase or an infinitive
phrase is the complete subject of a
sentence, the entire phrase is considered
singular and therefore takes a singular
verb!
 Tutoring college students occupies much of
the lawyer’s spare time.
 To write several essay assignments is
difficult.
Rule #18b (continued)
 In a verb phrase, the first helping verb
agrees in number with the rest of the
subject.
 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was
designed by Maya Lin.
(singular subject and singular verb phrase)
 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the
Civil Rights Memorial were designed by
Maya Lin.
Rule #18c
 The number of a subject is not changed
by a word in a phrase or clause following
the subject.
 The poems are by various students in the
class.
 The poems in this collection are by various
students in the class.
Review: 18a, 18b, & 18c
 Rule #18a: A word that refers to one person,
place, thing, or idea is singular in number. A
word that refers to more than one is plural in
number.
 Rule #18b: A verb should agree in number with
its subject.
 Rule #18c: The number of a subject is not
changed by a word in a phrase or clause
following the subject.
 Try Worksheets 104 and 105 now!
Rule #18d
 Some indefinite pronouns are singular,
some are plural, and some can be
singular or plural depending on how they
are used.
Rule #18d (continued)
Singular
 anybody, anyone, anything, each, either,
everybody, everyone, everything, neither,
nobody, no one, nothing, one, somebody,
someone, something
 Example: Did anything happen while I was
out?
 Example: Somebody in this room wants no
homework tonight.
Rule #18d (continued)




Plural
both, few, many, several
Both of the schools offer an excellent
sports program.
Few of Mr. Mathews’ students miss
English class.
Several of my notebooks have gone
missing.
Rule #18d (continued)





Singular OR Plural
all, any, more, most, none, some
Their number changes based on the
words to which they refer.
S: All of the worksheet seems simple.
P: All of the problems seem simple.
Try worksheets 107 and 108 now!
Rule #18e
 Subjects joined by and usually take a plural
verb.
 English and French are the official languages
of Canada.
 Sarah and Allison seem to be friends.
 This is true only when two people, places,
things, or ideas are named. If the and names
only one person, place, thing, or idea, the
subject takes a singular verb. (i.e. macaroni
and cheese)
Rule #18f
 Singular subjects joined by or or nor take
a singular subject.
 A fleece or a sweater is warm enough for
tonight.
 Neither the teacher nor the student
knows the guest speaker.
 Either Ms. Molloy or Mrs. Hals reads the
locker break announcements.
Rule #18g
 When a singular subject and a plural
subject are joined by or or nor, the verb
agrees with the subject nearer the verb.
 Either the students or the teacher is
wrong about the date of the dress down.
 Either the teacher or the students are
wrong about the date of the dress down.
Review
 Rule #18e: Subjects joined by and usually take
a plural verb.
 Rule #18f: Singular subjects joined by or or nor
take a singular subject.
 Rule #18g: When a singular subject and a
plural subject are joined by or or nor, the verb
agrees with the subject nearer the verb.
 Try Worksheets 109 and 110 now!
Special Problems in
Subject-Verb
Agreement
Exceptions to the Rules
Rule #18h
 The contractions don’t and doesn’t
should agree with their subjects.
 He doesn’t (does not) live here anymore.
 Is doesn’t (does not) look like snow.
 Ann Marie doesn’t (does not) know about
the big surprise.
 I don’t (do not) think it will snow all winter.
Rule #18i
 When the subject follows the verb, find
the subject and make sure that the verb
agrees with it.
 Here is the movie I borrowed.
 Here are the movies I borrowed.
 There was an accident on the Parkway.
 There were two accidents on the
Parkway.
Rule #18i (continued)
 Nota bene: The contractions here’s,
there’s, when’s, and where’s incorporate
the verb is. Contractions such as these
should only be used with singular
subjects!!!
 Here’s (Here is) your book.
 When’s (When is) the next liturgy?
Rule #18j
 A collective noun may be either singular or
plural, depending on its meaning in a sentence.
 The singular form of a collective noun names a
group of people or things.
 Examples of collective nouns: army, assembly,
audience, band, class, club, committee, crowd,
family, fleet, flock, group, herd, jury, public,
squadron, staff, swarm, team, troop
Rule #18j (continued)
 A collective noun is singular when it
refers to the group as a unit.
 The class meets on A, B, D, and E Days.
 The team has won the county meet.
 The fleet sails tomorrow morning.
Rule #18j (continued)
 A collective noun is plural when it refers
to the individual members or parts of the
group.
 The class usually bring their laptops with
them. (members bring separate laptops)
 The team have voted on this year’s MVP.
(members voted separately)
 The fleet drop anchor when they arrive in the
port. (ships drop separate anchors)
Try Worksheets 111
and 112 now!
Rule #18k
 An expression of an amount
(measurement, percentage, fraction, etc.)
may be singular or plural, depending on
how it is used.
 Fifty dollars is all we have raised so far. (unit
is one amount)
 Fifty dollars were left down in the cafeteria.
(amount refers to separate dollars)
Rule #18l
 Some rare nouns that are plural in form
take singular verbs, and some nouns that
suggests “a pair” take plural verbs.
 Physics happens to be my favorite subject.
 Mr. Mathews’s scissors have gone missing!
Rule #18m
 Even when in plural form, the titles of
creative works (such as books, songs,
movies, or paintings) and the names of
countries, cities, organization generally
take singular verbs.
 The Outsiders is a popular book.
Try Worksheets 113
and 114 now!
Rule #18n
 A verb agrees with its subject, but not
necessarily with its predicate nominative.
 Predicate nominative: a noun following a
linking verb that provides information about the
subject.
 Good writing skills are one requirement for
college admission.
 The highlight of the movie was the numerous
explosion scenes.
Rule #18o
 Subjects preceded by every or many a(n)
take singular verbs.
 Every student is responsible for not
getting banned from the network.
 Many a freshman worries about missing
the bus home.
Rule #18p
 When the relative pronoun that, which, or
who is the subject of an adjective clause,
the verb in the clause agrees with the
word to which the relative pronoun refers.
 London, which is the capital of the United
Kingdom, is often covered in fog.
 I know some penguins who owe me a
couple of favors.
Rule #18p
 When the relative pronoun is preceded
by one of + a plural word, it takes a plural
verb.
 Spain is one of the nations that border
France.
 Religion is one of the classes that are taken
by IHA freshmen.
 Romeo and Juliet is one of the works read
during freshman year.
Rule #18p
 When the relative pronoun is preceded
by the only one of + a plural word, it
takes a singular verb.
 The Vatican is the only one of the European
nations that is inhabited solely by men.
 New Jersey is the only one of the United
States that has abolished the death penalty
since its reinstatement.
Try Worksheets 115
and 116 now!