Concord/ Subject Verb -Agreement Complete Rules with examples.

 Subject Verb Agreement/ Concord

Subject–Verb Agreement Rules

You already know what ‘subject’ and ‘verb‘ are in a sentence. ‘Subject’ is a noun or pronoun that tells us what the sentence talks about and ‘verb’ represents the action in the sentence. Then what is ‘subject verb concord/agreement’? It means that the subject and verb in a sentence should agree or match, otherwise the sentence will not sound right. Let’s understand the basic rules of subject-verb agreement.

Rule 1

The verb and subject must agree in number (singular or plural)

This means that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular and if the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.

Examples:

1.      He plays football. (SINGULAR)

2.      They play football. (PLURAL)

Subject-Verb Agreement – Rule 1 [Source: vimeo]

Rule 2

The number of the subject (singular or plural) will not change due to words/phrases in between the subject and the verb.

Examples:

1.      One of the glasses is empty. (Here, since the subject is ‘one’, the verb should be ‘is’).

2.      The bouquet of red roses smells so sweet. (Here, since ‘bouquet’ is the subject and not ‘roses’, the verb should be ‘smells’ and not ‘smell’)

Rule 3

Subjects that are joined by ‘and’ in a sentence, use a plural verb. Subjects that are joined by ‘either/or’, neither/nor’ use a singular verb.

Examples:

1.      Radha and Meera are coming home.

2.      Neither Akshay nor Rohit is coming home.

3.      My dad or my mom is arriving today.

Rule 4

The verb in a sentence containing ‘or’, ‘either/or’, ‘neither/nor’ agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:

1.      Neither the shoes nor the bag matches the dress. (Here, ‘bag’ is closest to the verb, hence ‘matches’)

2.      Neither the bag nor the shoes match the dress. (Here, ‘shoes’ is closest to the verb, hence ‘match’)

Rule 5

When the subject is followed by words such as ‘as well as’, ‘along with’, ‘besides’, ‘not’ etc. ignore them and use a singular verb if the subject is singular.

Examples:

1.      Matt, as well as his dog, is expected shortly.

2.      Pratik, along with his brother, is going to school.

Rule 6

In sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, the true subject usually follows the verb.

Examples:

1.      Here are the chocolates.

2.      There is a big puddle on the road.

Rule 7

In sentences that include sums of money, periods of time or distances etc. (as a unit), use singular verbs.

Examples:

1.      500 rupees is a high price to pay.

2.      62 years is the minimum age of retirement.

3.      10 kilometers is too far to walk.

Rule 8

In the case of words such as ‘a lot of’, all’, ‘some’ etc. in a sentence, pay attention to the noun after ‘of’. If the noun after ‘of’ is singular then use a singular verb, if plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:

1.      All of the cake is gone.

2.      All of the cakes are gone.

3.      A lot of the cake is gone.

4.      A lot of the cakes are gone.

5.      Some of the cake is gone.

6.      Some of the cakes are gone.

Rule 9

In the case of collective nouns such as ‘group, ‘population’, ‘family’, in a sentence, the verb can be singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.

Examples:

1.      Most of my family is here OR are here.

2.      Half of the population was against the bill OR were against the bill.

Rule 10

Nouns such as ‘mathematics’, ‘civics’, ‘news’ etc. while plural in form, are singular in meaning and use singular verbs.

Examples:

1.      Mathematics is very difficult for some people.

2.      The news is very saddening.

Rule 11

In sentences that express a wish, request or contrary to fact, the word ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was.

Examples:

1.      I wish my sister were here.

2.      Aditya requested that she raise her glass.

Solved Examples for You on Subject Verb Concord

Question: Choose the correct subject verb combinations in the sentences below.

a.       The lady in the car (look/looks) like your mother.

b.      Most of the milk (is/are) gone.

c.       One of the flowers (has/have) wilted.

d.      Either Ram or Shyam (is/are) coming today.

e.       Here (is/are) the newspaper.

f.        The group of dancers (is/are) here.

g.      Civics (is/are) my favorite subject.

Solution:

a.       The lady in the car looks like your mother.

b.      Most of the milk is gone.

c.       One of the flowers has wilted.

d.      Either Ram or Shyam is coming today.

e.       Here is the newspaper.

f.        The group of dancers is OR are here.

g.      Civics is my favorite subject.

 

 

 

 

The Subject Verb Agreement

Generally, there are two types of verbs in a sentence- finite and non-finite. Finite verbs are also known as the main verbs in the sentence. These directly relate to the subject of the sentence in terms of tense and number. All the other verbs in the sentence are non-finite verbs. Thus the non-finite verbs are mostly not in sync with the subject of the verb.

The subject-verb agreement states that the finite or the main verb of the sentence must agree with its subject in person as well as in number. For example,

·         Incorrect- We is studying English grammar on Toppr.

·         Correct- We are studying English grammar on Toppr.

Note that the agreement is in terms of person and number.

 

Agreement in Person

The general cases that arise and the rules concerned are discussed as below:

I. When the sentence has different persons (irrespective of a noun or a pronoun), separated by an ‘and’, we should use the plural verb. For example:

·         Jake and Misha are siblings.

·         You, Pete and I are going to the woods.

II. In subject verb agreement when there are different persons in the subject of the sentence, separated by an ‘or’ or ‘nor’, the verb agrees in person with the word nearest to it. For example:

·         Neither she nor you are at fault.

·         Either David or I am going to the party.

·         Either Mich or he is at fault.

III. ‘Let us’ always takes a verb as the subject. For example:

·         Let us go out.

·         Let them sing the song.

IV. Kings and editors use ‘we’ for ‘I’ in their sentences and the verb agrees with this. For example:

·         We are going to publish this.

·         We work for the welfare of people.

V. The words ‘Your Honour’, ‘Your Majesty’ etc. take a singular verb. For example:

·         If Your Majesty wants……

VI. When in a sentence two different words are joined by ‘as well as’, the verb agrees with the first word. That is:

·         Dave, as well as I, is coming.

·         The students, as well as the teachers, were asked to vacate the room.

VII. If two words in the sentence are joined by ‘not only’……’but also’, subject verb agreement states that the verb agrees with the word nearest to it. For example:

·         Not only you, but also the teachers are also in opposition to this.

·         Not only we, but also our parents want us to win.

Agreement in Number

The general cases and the concerned rules are as follows:

I. When the subject is a collective noun, we use a singular verb if we view noun as a whole and a plural verb if we view the noun as a collection of individuals. For example:

·         The herd is moving towards the farm.

·         A number of the members of the team were absent.

II. The verb of the sentence should essentially agree with the subject of the sentence in number. For example:

·         He is playing well.

·         We are going for a vacation.

III. When there are two or more nouns separated by an ‘and’, we use a plural form of the verb. For example:

·         Misha and Rita are best friends.

·         Jack, Dale, and Morty are very naughty.

IV. The nouns that are separated by an ‘and’ but refer to the same person take a singular verb. For example:

·         The actor and director is in the office.

·         The great poet and writer has died.

Note: If the nouns were referring t0 different persons, they would have different articles. That is:

·         The actor and the director are in the office.

V. When to nouns joined by ‘and’ talk about a single collective idea, we use the singular verb. For example:

·         Bread and butter is a routine breakfast here.

VI. When the subject comes after ‘each’ or ‘every’, a singular verb is used. For example:

·         Each student is working very hard.

·         Every man is a culprit.

VII. When the subject is preceded by ‘each of’, ‘one of’, ‘either of’ or ‘neither of’, we use a singular verb according to the subject verb agreement. For example:

·         Each of the students is writing an essay.

·         Neither of us is leaving today.

VIII. Singular nouns joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either’ or ‘neither’, take a singular verb. For example:

·         Neither you nor I am at fault.

·         Either Vrinu or Kasha is lying.

IX. The relative pronouns- who, which- followed by a verb that agrees with its antecedent in number and person.For example:

·         It is I who am to blame.

·         Ram is one of the boys who are noble.

X. The nouns joined by- with, along with and no less than and not- have a verb that agrees with the first noun in number. For example:

·         He no less than you is at fault.

·         I and not you, am to blame.

XI. Summons, means and innings- look plural but generally take singular verbs. For example:

·         The summons of the court was served on him.

·         This is only a means to achieve the end.

·         The first innings is over.

X. Some nouns appear plural but take a singular verb. For example:

·         Physics is really intriguing.

·         The news is wrong.

This is because these nouns are talking about a single idea. That is, in the first sentence we are talking about the whole discipline of physics as one.

XI. Countries that have plural names take a singular verb. Again this is because the country is a single entity, considered as a whole. For example:

·         The United States of America is spearheading the world.

X. Plural nouns making one quantity take singular verbs. For example:

·         10 dollars is the right price.

·         Three kilometres is the exact distance.

Solved Example for You

Q: Fill in the blanks:

i.            Milk and eggs ___ a perfect food.

ii.            I, who ___ your friend, wish you success.

iii.            No news ___ ever good news.

Ans:

i.            is

ii.            am

iii.            is

source: https://www.toppr.com/guides/english/verb/subject-verb-concord/

 

 

 

Subject–Verb Agreement Rules

Key: subject = yellow, bold; verb = green, underline

 

Subjects and verbs must agree in number.

1.      If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.

Example: She writes every day.
Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in a managerial role at the organization.

2.      If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Example: They write every day.

Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

3.      When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.

Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.

Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left their jobs within 2 years are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

4.      When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.

Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.

Example: An assumption is something that is generally accepted as true and is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

5.      When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence.

Example: The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.

Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.

Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.

Example: The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.

6.      When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by "or" or "nor," use a singular verb.

Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

7.      When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.

Example: The student or the committee members write every day.

Example: The committee members or the student writes every day.

8.      The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone," "everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and "no one" are singular and require a singular verb.

Example: Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.

Example: Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.

Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to everybody who participates in the study.

Example: No one was available to meet with me at the preferred times.

9.      Noncount nouns take a singular verb.

Example: Education is the key to success.

Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.

Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to include in the study.

Example: The research I found on the topic was limited.

10.  Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.

Example: The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.

Example: The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the city.

Example: Locally produced goods have the advantage of shorter supply chains.

11.  In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.

Example: There is little administrative support.

Example: There are many factors affecting teacher retention.

12.  Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are "group," "team," "committee," "family," and "class."

Example: The group meets every week.

Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

 

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is much less common.

Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their private lives.

Source: https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/subjectverbagreement

Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.
If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.

Rule 5a. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE:

The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal sentences like There's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are." Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE

In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly singular. However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage: "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.

Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was opposed OR were opposed to the bill.

NOTE

Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be accurate—and also consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following is the sort of flawed sentence one sees and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.
Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the plural they to staff in the same sentence.

Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding sentence would read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact:

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But Joe isn't actually here, so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates the subjunctive mood, which is used to express things that are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory. The subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.

Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed; therefore, were, which we usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the singular it. (Technically, it is the singular subject of the object clause in the subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second example, where a request is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is correct.

Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in formal speech and writing.

Source: https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp

 

What Are the Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement?

Twenty may seem like a lot of rules for one subject, but you'll quickly notice one ties into the next. In the end, it'll all make sense. (In the following examples, the agreeing subject is in bold and the verb is in italics.)

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept.

The dog growls when he is angry.
The dogs growl when they are angry.

2. Subordinate clauses that come between the subject and verb don't affect their agreement.

The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.

3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

4. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed after the verb. Some care needs to be taken to identify each part correctly.

There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.

5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.

Where are the pieces of this puzzle?

6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.

The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.

7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same person or thing as a whole.

Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.

8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular.

No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check in.

9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is singular.

Either Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

10. The only time the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more," or "all" are followed by a prepositional phrase. Then the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.

All of the chicken is gone.
All of the chickens are gone.

11. The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement or time.

Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is plural.

Not only dogs but also cats are available at the animal shelter.

13. If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).

Everybody wants to be loved.

15. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns "few," "many," "several," "both," "all," and "some." These always take the plural form.

Few were left alive after the flood.

16. If two infinitives are separated by "and," they take the plural form of the verb.

To walk and to chew gum require great skill.

17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural form.

Standing in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.

18. A collective noun, such as "team" or "staff," can be either singular or plural depending upon the rest of the sentence. Typically, they take the singular form, as the collective noun is treated as a cohesive single unit.

The herd is stampeding.

19. Titles of books, movies, novels, and other similar works are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.

20. Final rule: Remember, only the subject affects the verb! Nothing else matters.

Jacob, who owns sixteen houses, is on his way to becoming a billionaire.

To see more sentences showing the correct agreement of subject and verb, check out Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement. You can also download our shorter top 10 rules infographic and keep it handy.

Source: https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/sentences/20-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement.html

10 must know rules for Subject Verb Agreement – Grammar

bank-po, cat, cet, cmat, nmat, snap, xat / By CetKing

10 must know rules for Subject Verb Agreement – Grammar
Subject Verb Agreement is a very important concept in English grammar. Now, don’t get worried and don’t be like “Why do I need to learn this? How is this going to help me? Many of the MBA entrances including CAT test students on the questions based on the concepts of Subject Verb Agreement. Hence, it makes more sense to brush up what you so happily left behind in school! This post will give you ALL that you need to know about english grammar rules for subject verb agreement and how to use them in your exams:

A sentence is made up of 2 parts:
SUBJECT that tells us what the sentence is about. It can be either a noun (book,cars,Mary, etc)or a pronoun(they,she,etc).It can be either singular or plural.
VERB represents the action of a sentence (is, went, will place, have taken, etc)

How to make the subject and verb agree:
1.Identify the subject of the sentence.
2.Decide if the subject is singular or plural.
3.Lastly,decide which verb form will match with the subject.

Example:
The quality of the apples were not good.
In this,subject is the “quality of the apples” and the the verb is ‘were’.
Since the subject “the quality of the apples” is singular, the singular verb ‘was’ should have been used instead of ‘were’.
So the correct sentence is:
The quality of the apples was not good.

10 rules of Subject Verb Agreement

RULE1: The subject and verb must agree in number: both must be singular, or both must be plural.
Example:The car belongs to my brother.(SINGULAR)
They also play football.(PLURAL)

RULE2: The number of the subject (singular or plural) is not changed by words(or a phrase) that come in between the subject and the verb.
Example: One of the boxes is open.
Here,the subject “one” and the verb “is” are both singular.

RULE3: Some subjects always take a singular verb even though the meaning may seem plural.
Example: Someone in the game was (not were) hurt.

RULE4: The following words may be singular or plural, depending upon their use in a sentence: some,any, all, most.
Example: Most of the news is good. (singular)
Most of the flowers were yellow. (plural)

RULE5: Subjects joined by “and” are plural. Subjects joined by “or” or “Nor” take a verb that agrees with the last subject.
Example: Bob and George are leaving.
Neither Bob nor George is leaving.

RULE6: “There” and “here” are never subjects.In sentences that begin with these words, the subject is usually found later on in the sentence.
Example: There were five books on the shelf. (were, agrees with the subject “book”)

RULE7: Collective nouns may be singular or plural, depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples: The orchestra is playing a hit song. (Orchestra is considered as one unit—singular)
The orchestra were asked to give their musical backgrounds. (Orchestra is considered as separate units-plural)

RULE8: Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in meaning.
Example: Mathematics is (not are) an easy subject for some people.

RULE9: “Doesn’t” is a contraction of “does not” and should be used only with a singular subject.”Don’t” is a contraction of “do not” and should be used only with a plural subject.
Example: He doesn’t(does not) like it.

RULE10:Nouns such as ‘civics’, ‘mathematics’,‘dollars’, and ‘news’ require singular verbs.
Eg.A million dollars is needed to renovate that building.

Subject-verb agreement is one of the most basic parts of English Grammer and commonly repeated in exams. Reviewing and practicising above rules alongwith few questions for each will help you fully- understand subject-verb agreement and avoid many of the common mistakes that occurs in the exam.

Source: https://cetking.com/10-must-know-rules-for-subject-verb-agreement-grammar/

 

Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement:

Rule 1:

Singular subjects need singular verbs, while plural subjects require plural verbs. ‘Be’ verbs change the most according to the number and person of the subject.  Other verbs do not change much on the basis of the subjects except the verbs of the simple present tense. If the subjects are a third person singular number, the verbs are used with s/es when they are in simple present tense. The verbs with s/es in the sentence are called singular verbs.

‘Be’ verbs according to number and person of the subject.

Person/Number	Singular	Plural
First	am	are
Second	are	are
Third	is	are

 Example: 

Person/Nmber	Singular	Plural
First	I am an excellent tennis player.	We are excellent tennis players.
Second	You are a nice person.	You all are nice people.
Third	Alex plays well under pressure. He is a good player.	They are good at chasing. They play well under pressure.

Rule 2:

When the prepositional phrases separate the subjects from the verbs, they have no effect on the verbs.

Example:

A study ^{(singular subject)} on African countries shows ^{(singular verb)}  that 80% of the people ^{(plural subject)} of this continent live ^{(plural verb)} below the poverty line.

The perspective of different people varies from time to time.

The fear of terrorists and militants has made them flee the city.

Rule 3:

Nouns connected by the conjunction and in the subject work as the plural subject and take a plural verb.

Example:

o    Alex and Murphy are coming here.

o    Robin and his friends want to go on a tour.

o    Apples and mangoes are my favorite fruits.

Rule 4:

If the conjunction ‘and’  is replaced by together with/ along with/ accompanied by/ as well as, the verb will have no effect for the later part of these expressions. The words prior to these expressions are the subjects.

Example:

o    Tom, along with his brothers is going to the city. (‘His brothers’ is not the subject of this sentence.)

o    Alex, as well as his parents, is coming to the party.

o    The boys, accompanied by their teacher Mr. Robbins are planning a tour.

Note: If these expressions are replaced by ‘and’, the subjects will be regarded as plurals, and so the verbs have to be plural.

Example: Tom and his brothers are going to the city.

Rule 5:

Some nouns are always singular and indefinite. When these nouns become the subjects, they always take singular verbs.

Any + singular noun	No + singular noun	Some + sin. noun	Every + sin. noun	Each + sin. noun
Anybody Anyone Anything	Nobody No one Nothing	Somebody Someone Something	Everybody Everyone Everything	Each student
				Either* Neither*

*Note:  Either and neither are singular if they are not used with or and nor.

Example:

o    Everybody wants to live happily.

o    Something is bothering him.

o    No human being lives in that house.

o    Neither of you is responsible enough to handle it.

o    Each student has to submit a separate assignment.

Rule 6:

Some nouns are always plural. These nouns have two parts.

Scissors, shorts, eyeglasses, pants, thongs, jeans, trousers, etc.

Example:

o    My pants are in the drawer.

o    Your eyeglasses are dirty.

o    These scissors are useless.

Note: If these words are preceded by the phrase a pair of, they will be regarded as singular subjects.

Example:

o    A pair of pants is needed.

o    This pair of trousers is ugly.

Rule 7:

None is a singular subject when it is used alone. When it is used with a prepositional phrase starting with of, the subject can be both plural and singular.

None + of the + singular noun + singular verb

 

None + of the + plural noun + plural verb

Example:

o    None of the money has been used.

o    None of the teacher wants failure for students.

o    None of the students want to fail.

o    None of the bottles are clean enough to keep water.

Note: No + plural noun takes plural verbs.

Example: no men are hungry now.  

Rule 8:

Either . . .  or, neither . . . nor, or, and nor take two nouns before and after them. The nouns placed after these conjunctions are regarded as the subjects of the sentence. The nouns placed prior to the words or and nor have no effect on the verbs.

Example:

o    Neither Alex nor his brothers are going to the party.

o    Either John and Alex or I am doing it.

o    I or Robert opens the door when someone comes.

o    Neither the boys nor we are responsible for it.

Rule 9:

The sentences beginning with here/there are different in structure. In this case, the subject comes after the verb.

Here/There + verb + subject . . . . . .

Example:

o    Here comes^(verb) the lion^(subject).

o    There is a pond near the house.

o    There are some candies on the table.

o    Here is the document for your car.

Rule 10:

Collective nouns are usually regarded as singular subjects.

Examples:

o    The committee has decided to postpone the game.

o    The family was ecstatic by the news.

o    The crowd enjoys the excitement in the game.

o    Twenty dollars is not a lot of money. (Here, the noun is plural, but the subject is regarded as a collective noun.)

Note:  The following phrases are also regarded as collective nouns and thus singular subjects.

Flock of birds/sheep, herd of cattle, pack of dogs/wolves, school of fish, pride of lions

Example:

o    A flock of sheep always moves together.

o    A pack of wolves is approaching towards the herd of cattle.

o    A school of fish always hides from the big fishes.

Rule 11:

A number of + noun is a plural subject, and it takes a plural verb. The number of + noun is a singular subject, and it takes a singular verb.

Example:

o    A number of dancers are coming to the party. (Indefinite number of dancers – plural)

o    The number of dancers coming to the party is 12. (Definite number of dancers – singular)

o    A number of people prefer cricket to football.

o    The number of days in this month is 28.

Rule 12:

If a gerund or an infinitive comes as a subject, the verb will always be singular.

Example:

o    Swimming is a good exercise.

o    Walking is a good habit.

o    Eating healthy food makes you healthy.

o    To err is human.

Rule 13:

 If the + an adjective appears as the subject of a sentence, it will be plural.

Example:

o    The pious are loved by God.

o    The industrious are always not successful.

o    The best do not lack integrity.

Source: https://www.learngrammar.net/english-grammar/subject-verb-agreement-rules-examples

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

A simple subject-verb agreement definition implies that the subject of the sentence and the verb of the sentence must be in agreement in number.

Let’s take an example to understand this concept.

Example 1: The dog is playing with his ball.

In this case, the subject of the sentence is ‘dog’ and the verb used is singular in nature, ‘is playing’.

Example 2: The dogs are playing with their ball.

In this case, the subject of the sentence is ‘dogs’ and the verb used is plural in nature, ‘are playing’.

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Let’s explore a series of subject-verb agreement rules required to ace questions based on Sentence Correction. 

RULE 1: When two subjects are joined by ‘and’, the verb is plural.

For example: My friend and his mother are in town.

RULE 2: When two singular nouns joined by ‘and’ refer to the same person or thing, the verb is singular. 
For example: The captain and coach of the team has been sacked.

In case these were two different individuals, two articles need to be used: The captain and the coach of the team have been sacked.            

RULE 3: Indefinite pronouns (everyone, each one, someone, somebody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody etc.) are always singular. 

For example:  Everyone is selfish.

We do not use 'are' in this sentence. 

This rule does not apply to: few, many, several, both, all, some.

RULE 4: When the percentage or a part of something is mentioned with plural meaning the plural verb is used.

For example: 40 of every 100 children are malnourished.

RULE 5: When the subjects joined by ‘either or’ or ‘neither nor’ are of different persons, the verb will agree in person and number with the noun nearest to it.

For example: Neither you nor your dogs know how to behave.

Either of the books is fine for MAT preparation.

Always remember that, when either and neither are used as pronouns, they are treated as singular and always take the singular verb. 

RULE 6: If connectives/appositives like along with, together with, as well as, accompanied by etc. are used to combine two subjects, the verb agrees with the subject mentioned first.

For example: Mr. Ram, accompanied by his wife Sita and his brother, was banished to the forest.

Sentence Correction: Concepts & Rules

·         Basics of Sentence Correction

·         Subject Verb Agreement - 1

·         Parallelism Error

·         Subject-Pronoun Agreement

·         Sentence Correction Exercise

·         Modifier Errors

·         Subject Verb Agreement - 2

·         Redundancy Error

·         Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise

RULE 7: A number of/ the number or

‘A number of (some countable noun)’ is always plural. ‘The number of (some countable noun)’ is always singular.

For example: A number of students are going on the trip.

RULE 8: The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.

For example: Five gallons of oil was required to get the engine running.

RULE 9: When any of ‘few, many, several, both, all, some’ is used with a countable noun, the verb is plural.

For example: Some men are needed for the battle.

RULE 10: When any of ‘few, many, several, both, all, some’ is used with an uncountable noun, the verb is singular.

For example: Some milk is spoilt.

Subject-Verb agreement is essential to make sure that a sentence is grammatically correct. Thus, the above ten basic rules can help you to master subject-verb agreement.

Source: https://www.hitbullseye.com/Subject-Verb-Agreement.php

 

Usage - Subject-Verb Agreement

Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural).  Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.

In present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways:  

                        nouns ADD an s to the singular form,

                                                    BUT

                        verbs REMOVE an s from the singular form.

                

Here are nine subject-verb agreement rules.

1.  A phrase or clause between subject and verb does not change the number of the subject.

                Examples:

                       

          

2.  Indefinite pronouns as subjects

·            Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs.

 

   

            

·            Plural indefinite pronoun subjects take plural verbs.

   PLURAL:  several, few, both, many

                      

                

·            Some indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural: with uncountable, use singular; with countable, use plural.

   EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL:  some, any, none, all, most

                                

                Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

                

                                

                Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

                           

          

3.  Compound subjects joined by and are always plural.

                     

             

4.  With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

                

          In the above example, the plural verb are agrees with the nearer subject actors.

 

                

            In this example, the singular verb is agrees with the nearer subject director.

                

5.  Inverted Subjects must agree with the verb.   

                

                

          

6.  Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.

                

            In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the verb is singular.

       

                

            In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the verb is plural.

       

                                  

7.  Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are always singular.

                

      

8.  Plural form subjects

·         Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb. (e.g. news, measles, mumps, physics, etc.)

                

             

·         Plural form subjects with singular or plural meaning take a singular or plural verb, depending on meaning.  (e.g. politics, economics, etc.)

                

    In this example, politics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

                

    In this example, politics refers to the many aspects of the situation; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

          

·         Plural form subjects with a plural meaning take a plural verb. (e.g.  scissors, trousers)

                

                                     

            Note:  In this example, the subject of the sentence is pair; therefore, the verb must agree with it.  (Because scissors is the object of the preposition, scissors does not affect the number of the verb.)

                

9.  With subject and subjective complement of different number, the verb always agrees with the subject.

                

                

 

10-A. With one of those ________ who, use a plural verb.

     

     The above example implies that others besides Hannah like to read comic books.  Therefore, the plural verb is the correct form to use. 

 

10-B.  With the only one of those ________who, use a singular verb.

 

     The above example implies that no one else except for Hannah likes to read comic books.  Therefore, the singular verb is the correct for to use.

                   

11-A.  With the number of _______, use a singular verb.
                             

 

11-B.  With a number of _______, use a plural verb.
              

 

12.  With every ______ and many a ________, use a singular verb.

                  

                

Source: https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/sub-verb.htm

 

The 24 Rules Of Concord

Concord in Grammar means the agreement between the subject and the verb or the agreement between a verb/predicate and other elements of clause structure.

In the use of concord rules in the English language, There are 24 rules of concord.
So let list and explain the 24 rules of concord one by one – keep reading.

Lesson On The 24 Rules Of Concord

Rule 1

Subject and verb concord
When the subject in a sentence is singular, the verb should also be singular.
For example,
She (singular subject) goes (singular verb), not: She go ( plural verb). Also, when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

The girls (plural subject) go (plural verb), not The girls (plural subject) goes (Singular verb).

Rule 2

Subject and Object concord
When everybody or everyone is used, the object must be singular, not plural.

For example
Everybody knows his or her name, not: Everybody knows their name.

Rule 3

Mandative subjunctive concord
When prayer, suggestion, wish, demand, recommendation, or resolution is used in a sentence, the verb that follows must be plural, whether the subject is singular or plural.
For example;

1.      It has been suggested that he go not goes away.

2.      The board has Recommend that the manager resign not resigns.

3.      I pray that God help me on my upcoming examination, not God helps.

Rule 4

The Principle of proximity
This principle states that when there is a list of nouns or pronouns at the level of the subject, it is the nearest noun or pronoun to the position of the verb that will determine the choice of the verb.

E.g
If James fails his examination, his teachers, his parents, his friends, or John ( ) to be blame.
The correct option to fill that blank space is, “is” not “are” because, at the subject level, we have his teachers, his friends, his parents and John ( four different people).
In order to choose the correct verb, we will need to choose the nearest subject to the gap as the subject, which is John.

Note: what makes us consider the only one noun or pronoun used in this sentence is because of the use of “or.” However, if the conjunction used is “and,” all the nouns or pronouns used in the sentence will be considered as the subject. I’ll explain better when I get to the type of such concord.

Back to James.
But if the question comes in this manner, the answer will be different,
For example,
If James fails his examination, his teachers, his parents, his friends, or I ( ) to be blame.

The correct answer here is “am,” because the pronoun “I” is the nearest subject to the gap, so if “I” is the subject, the verb that goes with it, is “am.” – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 5

Many – a concord
When many – a is used, the verb and the noun that follows must be Singular
E.g

1.      Many a candidate (not candidates) speaks ( not speak) bad English expressions.

2.      Many a girl (not girls) is (not are) here.

The actual meaning of statements 1 and 2 are many candidates and many girls.

Rule 6

A pair of concord
When  “a pair of” is used, the verb must be singular.

For example,

1.      A pair of trousers (not trouser) lies(not lie) on the bed.

2.      A pair of scissors lies (not lie) on the table.

Rule 7

National Concord
National concord is also called collective noun concord.
A collective noun: is a noun that stands for many units that constitute that single word.
For example,

1.      An audience which means people who watch programs.

2.      The congregation, which means worshipers.

3.      Clergy which means religion officers.

4.      A club, which means the association of members.

So whenever, you use a collective noun, the verb that follows must be a plural verb

For example,
Club: is a collective noun for members, so, we can also say, members of this association.

§  Our club meet ( not meets) ones in a week.

However, in some situations, a singular verb goes with a collective noun. Here is the principle;

If the collective noun performs an action, a plural verb follows, but if not, a singular verb follows.

1.      Our Club is celebrating its twentieth anniversary today.
In the above statement, you can see that; Our Club performs no action, hence, a singular verb is used.
But;

2.      Our Club are (not is) going on a vacation tomorrow.
You can see that; the above sentence is different from the first sentence, here the club is performing an action “going,” hence, we will use a plural verb (are) in compliance with the rule.

3.      The audience are (not is) partial in their judgment of the winner. The answer is “are” because the collective noun (audience) performs an action “judgment.”

Rule 8

Parenthesis
The parenthesis statement is an additional statement to what has already been said before.
Note A parenthetical statement should not be considered in choosing the verb that will follow.

E.g

1.      The teacher, not her students is in the class.
The correct answer is, is because ( not her students) is just parenthesis, and parenthesis has nothing to do with choosing the verb.

2.      The manager, not many of his workers, is (not are) here now. not many of his workers is just a parenthesis, therefore, the parenthesis should be ignored.
The manager is a singular noun, hence a singular verb.

Rule 9

Accompaniment Concord
When any of these following words are used, the subject of the clause would be the noun and pronoun that comes before the marker of accompaniment.top↑

Words like as much as, alongside, as well as, together with, no less than, in association with, including, like, with, and in collaboration with, etc

1.      Example 1
Mary,  as well as her friends, is ( not are) beautiful.
The answer is, “is” because mary is the noun that comes before as well as, hence mary is the subject and it is a singular noun hence a singular verb.

2.      Example 2
The little kids alongside their parents are  (not is) here.
The answer is are not is because the little kids come before alongside. The subject is plural hence a plural verb.

Rule 10

More than concord
When more than is used, the word or number that comes after more than will determine the next verb.
For example

1.      More than two apples are ( not is) here.

2.      More than one oranges is (not are) here.

In the first statement, the answer is “are” not is because two attracts are but in the second statement, the correct option is, “is” not are because one attracts is.
Note: Do not think because more than one means at least two, that you will use a plural verb after, no, you will use a singular verb – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 11

Indefinite pronoun concord
When any of the following words are used, you should use a Singular verb
Such words as; Everybody, everything, everyone, everywhere, no one, nothing, nobody, nowhere, something, someone, somebody, anyone, anything, anybody, anywhere and each. the next verb must be singular.

For example

1.      Nothing goes ( not go).

2.      Everybody likes (not like) him.

3.      Everybody thinks (not think) he stole the money.

Rule 12

Relative Concord
When who, whose, which and that refers to a previously mentioned noun or pronoun, such noun is a Relative noun

Example:

1.      One of the farmers who plant (not plants) on the farm has (not have) been asked to withdraw.

Rule 13

Uncountable nouns of concord
Countable nouns are nouns that can be quantified in units and numbers, that is, are nouns that can be counted.
E.g chairs, tables, phones, and so forth.

Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be quantified in units and numbers.
E.g water, information, equipment.

Note all uncountable nouns will avoid “s” at the back.
It is wrong to use any of these words below;
E.g informations, clothes, equipments, furnitures, machineries, datas, advices, evidences, wealths, and so forth.
Instead, you say a piece of, information, evidence, data, cloth, equipment, advice, etc
It is wrong to say machineries instead, you say a machine or two machines.

Other examples of nouns that attract plural verbs are;

1.      The police work hard (not works), but, that policeman (not policemen) works (not work) hard.
police and policemen are collective nouns that is why they attract a plural verb from the seventh rule.
But policeman is not collective noun but a singular noun, hence a singular verb

2.      The headquarters look (not looks) palatial.

3.      Cattle give (not gives) bad odor, and a cow gives bad odor.

4.      Aircraft make (not makes) traveling easier but, that chopper, airbus, or airplane makes traveling easier.

All the four examples attract plural verb because the subject in each example is a collective noun.

Rule 14

Pluralia tantums
Pluralia tantum are nouns that come in plural forms.
Some of these words have final “s”, while some do not. However, whenever any of the following forms appear, it must be followed by a singular verb.

1.      School Subject: Mathematics, Economics, Civics, Physics, Statistics, and so forth. You can see that all of the words end with “s” but it does not show plurality.

2.      Games: Darts, Snakes and Ladders, Draughts, Billiards, Bowls and Skittles, and so forth, all end with “s” but do not show plurality.

3.      Diseases: Measles, Tuberculosis, Shingles, Mumps, and so on, all end with “s” but do not show plurality.

4.      Others: titles, news, series, means, and so forth.

Examples,

1.      The series of incidents makes (not make) me shudder.

2.      The means of transport hastens (not hasten) traveling.

Note: There are some nouns that do not appear as singular at all but as plurals and they often attract plural verbs.

Such words are: Funds (money), annals, spirits, surroundings, guts, earnings, arms (weapons), auspices, the middle ages, entrails, bowels, quarters ( headquarters), banns, means, holidays, stars, suds, wages, thanks, riches, writs, savings, remains, ashes, goods ( product), arrears, outskirts, pains, particulars, fireworks, and so forth.

All these nouns not verbs cannot appear without “s” and, hence they attract plural verbs

Examples:

1.      His manners are (not is) good

2.      The remains (corpse) of the boy have ( not has) been buried.

Rule 15

Double title subject concord
When two subjects are joined together by “and” but the two subjects refer to only one person or thing, a singular verb should be used.

Example:

1.      Our principal and mathematics teacher knows me.

In the above sentence, our principal and mathematics teacher is not two different people but, our principal is also our mathematics teacher, hence the subject is our principal, and it is a singular noun, hence, singular verb.

Consider this example:,

1.      Our principal and the mathematics teacher.

This is quite different from the first sentence because the principal and the mathematics teacher are two different subjects because of the use of “the” Mathematics teacher
Hence, in this second sentence, you use a plural verb – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 16

Co-ordinate concord
When two subjects are joined together by and, the verb to be used should be plural.

Examples:

1.      James and John are (not is) here.

2.      Elizabeth and Johnson know (not knows) me.

Rule 17

Categorization concord
When a collective name, denoting category (not a collective noun) is used, the verb to be used must be plural.

Categories like: the poor, the rich, the wealthy, the successful, the gifted, the weak, the young in spirit, the handicapped, the helpless, and so forth. The verb to be used should be plural.

Examples:

1.      The poor need help (not helps or needs) from the government.

2.      The young are (not is) disobedient.

3.      The weak are (not is) left to their fates.

Rule 18

Plural number concord
When amount or unit is mentioned in a statement, units such as five thousand, three hundred, percent, twenty meters, five times, and so on. The next verb must be singular.

Examples:

1.      Two pounds of flour is (not are) too few to bake a cake.

2.      Ten percent of my earnings goes (not go) to my wife.

Rule 19

Mathematical facts
When mathematical facts are used, such as subtraction, multiplication, addition, division, and so forth, are used, the verb will be any of Singular and plural, that is, a singular or plural verb can be used when mathematical facts are used.

Examples:

1.      Ten plus ten is or are ( are and is are both correct) twenty.

2.      Ten multiplied by two is or are twenty.

Both singular and plural are correct.

Rule 20

Every + plural number concord
When every precedes a plural, the next verb is plural.

Examples:

1.      Every ten liters of oil bought come (not comes) with a bonus of an extra liter.

But when “every” appears without any plural number, the verb is singular.

Examples:

1.      Every boy (not boys) likes girls.

2.      Every man (not men) likes football.

When and joins two or more subjects with every or each, the verb should be singular.

Examples:

1.      Every man and woman speaks ( not speak) good English here.

2.      Every student and teacher comes ( not come) to school early – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 21

Most or much concord
When most is used, the verb will either be singular or plural, depending on whether the referent is a countable or uncountable noun,

Examples:

1.      Most of the boys (countable noun) are tall.

2.      Most of the time (uncountable noun), John has (not have) always been there for her.

When Much is used in a statement, the verb to be used must be singular.

Examples:

1.      Much of the water has (not have) been spilled.

Rule 22

All concord
When all appears, it means either everything or all the people.
When all means everything, the verb to be used should be Singular but when all means all the people, the verb to be used should be plural.

Examples:

1.      All are already seated in the hall.
In the above sentence, “All” means all the people are already seated in the hall hence a plural verb.

2.      But;
All is well with me.
In the above sentence, “All” means everything is well with me hence a singular verb.

When all but is used, the following verb should be plural
Example:

1.      All but John are (not is) on the bus. That means, only John is absent.

Rule 23

Either or neither concord
When either or neither joins two singular nouns together, the following verb should be Singular.

Examples:

1.      Either John or Jackson knows (not know) me.

2.      Neither Mary nor her friend was (not were) here.

But, when either or neither joins two subjects (one singular and the other plural), the verb should be chosen by considering the nearer of the two subjects.

Examples:

1.      Either James or his friends know me.

You can see that the word “friends” is nearer to the verb gap than it is near James.

These rules also apply, when “but or but even” joins two subjects.

Examples:

1.      Not only Sola but even teachers laugh in school.

2.      Not Lawrence but James speaks good English.

You can see that the word James is nearer to the verb gap than it is near Lawrence, hence, you use singular verb.

Rule 24

Each and one of concord
When each appears in concord, a singular noun + a singular verb will be chosen.

Example:

1.      Each boy (not boys) has a car.

But, when “each of or one” of appears, the next noun should be plural but the next verb should be singular.
Example:

1.      Each of the candidates (not candidate) stands (not stand) a good chance to win a scholarship.

We have come to the end of today’s class session on the 24 rules of concord.

Additional Reading On The 24 Rules Of Concord

These are other important class sessions you might have missed the 7 rules of quotation mark, when and how to use a semicolon, how to use comma splice rules, the 10 comma rules, stative and non conclusive verbs, how to use so in a sentence, and the 117 common grammar mistakes – the 24 rules of concord.

Source: https://acadel.org/concord/

 Subject–Verb Agreement Rules

You already know what ‘subject’ and ‘verb‘ are in a sentence. ‘Subject’ is a noun or pronoun that tells us what the sentence talks about and ‘verb’ represents the action in the sentence. Then what is ‘subject verb concord/agreement’? It means that the subject and verb in a sentence should agree or match, otherwise the sentence will not sound right. Let’s understand the basic rules of subject-verb agreement.

Rule 1

The verb and subject must agree in number (singular or plural)

This means that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular and if the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.

Examples:

1.      He plays football. (SINGULAR)

2.      They play football. (PLURAL)

Subject-Verb Agreement – Rule 1 [Source: vimeo]

Rule 2

The number of the subject (singular or plural) will not change due to words/phrases in between the subject and the verb.

Examples:

1.      One of the glasses is empty. (Here, since the subject is ‘one’, the verb should be ‘is’).

2.      The bouquet of red roses smells so sweet. (Here, since ‘bouquet’ is the subject and not ‘roses’, the verb should be ‘smells’ and not ‘smell’)

Rule 3

Subjects that are joined by ‘and’ in a sentence, use a plural verb. Subjects that are joined by ‘either/or’, neither/nor’ use a singular verb.

Examples:

1.      Radha and Meera are coming home.

2.      Neither Akshay nor Rohit is coming home.

3.      My dad or my mom is arriving today.

Rule 4

The verb in a sentence containing ‘or’, ‘either/or’, ‘neither/nor’ agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:

1.      Neither the shoes nor the bag matches the dress. (Here, ‘bag’ is closest to the verb, hence ‘matches’)

2.      Neither the bag nor the shoes match the dress. (Here, ‘shoes’ is closest to the verb, hence ‘match’)

Rule 5

When the subject is followed by words such as ‘as well as’, ‘along with’, ‘besides’, ‘not’ etc. ignore them and use a singular verb if the subject is singular.

Examples:

1.      Matt, as well as his dog, is expected shortly.

2.      Pratik, along with his brother, is going to school.

Rule 6

In sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, the true subject usually follows the verb.

Examples:

1.      Here are the chocolates.

2.      There is a big puddle on the road.

Rule 7

In sentences that include sums of money, periods of time or distances etc. (as a unit), use singular verbs.

Examples:

1.      500 rupees is a high price to pay.

2.      62 years is the minimum age of retirement.

3.      10 kilometers is too far to walk.

Rule 8

In the case of words such as ‘a lot of’, all’, ‘some’ etc. in a sentence, pay attention to the noun after ‘of’. If the noun after ‘of’ is singular then use a singular verb, if plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:

1.      All of the cake is gone.

2.      All of the cakes are gone.

3.      A lot of the cake is gone.

4.      A lot of the cakes are gone.

5.      Some of the cake is gone.

6.      Some of the cakes are gone.

Rule 9

In the case of collective nouns such as ‘group, ‘population’, ‘family’, in a sentence, the verb can be singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.

Examples:

1.      Most of my family is here OR are here.

2.      Half of the population was against the bill OR were against the bill.

Rule 10

Nouns such as ‘mathematics’, ‘civics’, ‘news’ etc. while plural in form, are singular in meaning and use singular verbs.

Examples:

1.      Mathematics is very difficult for some people.

2.      The news is very saddening.

Rule 11

In sentences that express a wish, request or contrary to fact, the word ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was.

Examples:

1.      I wish my sister were here.

2.      Aditya requested that she raise her glass.

Solved Examples for You on Subject Verb Concord

Question: Choose the correct subject verb combinations in the sentences below.

a.       The lady in the car (look/looks) like your mother.

b.      Most of the milk (is/are) gone.

c.       One of the flowers (has/have) wilted.

d.      Either Ram or Shyam (is/are) coming today.

e.       Here (is/are) the newspaper.

f.        The group of dancers (is/are) here.

g.      Civics (is/are) my favorite subject.

Solution:

a.       The lady in the car looks like your mother.

b.      Most of the milk is gone.

c.       One of the flowers has wilted.

d.      Either Ram or Shyam is coming today.

e.       Here is the newspaper.

f.        The group of dancers is OR are here.

g.      Civics is my favorite subject.

 

 

 

 

The Subject Verb Agreement

Generally, there are two types of verbs in a sentence- finite and non-finite. Finite verbs are also known as the main verbs in the sentence. These directly relate to the subject of the sentence in terms of tense and number. All the other verbs in the sentence are non-finite verbs. Thus the non-finite verbs are mostly not in sync with the subject of the verb.

The subject-verb agreement states that the finite or the main verb of the sentence must agree with its subject in person as well as in number. For example,

·         Incorrect- We is studying English grammar on Toppr.

·         Correct- We are studying English grammar on Toppr.

Note that the agreement is in terms of person and number.

 

Agreement in Person

The general cases that arise and the rules concerned are discussed as below:

I. When the sentence has different persons (irrespective of a noun or a pronoun), separated by an ‘and’, we should use the plural verb. For example:

·         Jake and Misha are siblings.

·         You, Pete and I are going to the woods.

II. In subject verb agreement when there are different persons in the subject of the sentence, separated by an ‘or’ or ‘nor’, the verb agrees in person with the word nearest to it. For example:

·         Neither she nor you are at fault.

·         Either David or I am going to the party.

·         Either Mich or he is at fault.

III. ‘Let us’ always takes a verb as the subject. For example:

·         Let us go out.

·         Let them sing the song.

IV. Kings and editors use ‘we’ for ‘I’ in their sentences and the verb agrees with this. For example:

·         We are going to publish this.

·         We work for the welfare of people.

V. The words ‘Your Honour’, ‘Your Majesty’ etc. take a singular verb. For example:

·         If Your Majesty wants……

VI. When in a sentence two different words are joined by ‘as well as’, the verb agrees with the first word. That is:

·         Dave, as well as I, is coming.

·         The students, as well as the teachers, were asked to vacate the room.

VII. If two words in the sentence are joined by ‘not only’……’but also’, subject verb agreement states that the verb agrees with the word nearest to it. For example:

·         Not only you, but also the teachers are also in opposition to this.

·         Not only we, but also our parents want us to win.

Agreement in Number

The general cases and the concerned rules are as follows:

I. When the subject is a collective noun, we use a singular verb if we view noun as a whole and a plural verb if we view the noun as a collection of individuals. For example:

·         The herd is moving towards the farm.

·         A number of the members of the team were absent.

II. The verb of the sentence should essentially agree with the subject of the sentence in number. For example:

·         He is playing well.

·         We are going for a vacation.

III. When there are two or more nouns separated by an ‘and’, we use a plural form of the verb. For example:

·         Misha and Rita are best friends.

·         Jack, Dale, and Morty are very naughty.

IV. The nouns that are separated by an ‘and’ but refer to the same person take a singular verb. For example:

·         The actor and director is in the office.

·         The great poet and writer has died.

Note: If the nouns were referring t0 different persons, they would have different articles. That is:

·         The actor and the director are in the office.

V. When to nouns joined by ‘and’ talk about a single collective idea, we use the singular verb. For example:

·         Bread and butter is a routine breakfast here.

VI. When the subject comes after ‘each’ or ‘every’, a singular verb is used. For example:

·         Each student is working very hard.

·         Every man is a culprit.

VII. When the subject is preceded by ‘each of’, ‘one of’, ‘either of’ or ‘neither of’, we use a singular verb according to the subject verb agreement. For example:

·         Each of the students is writing an essay.

·         Neither of us is leaving today.

VIII. Singular nouns joined by ‘or’, ‘nor’, ‘either’ or ‘neither’, take a singular verb. For example:

·         Neither you nor I am at fault.

·         Either Vrinu or Kasha is lying.

IX. The relative pronouns- who, which- followed by a verb that agrees with its antecedent in number and person.For example:

·         It is I who am to blame.

·         Ram is one of the boys who are noble.

X. The nouns joined by- with, along with and no less than and not- have a verb that agrees with the first noun in number. For example:

·         He no less than you is at fault.

·         I and not you, am to blame.

XI. Summons, means and innings- look plural but generally take singular verbs. For example:

·         The summons of the court was served on him.

·         This is only a means to achieve the end.

·         The first innings is over.

X. Some nouns appear plural but take a singular verb. For example:

·         Physics is really intriguing.

·         The news is wrong.

This is because these nouns are talking about a single idea. That is, in the first sentence we are talking about the whole discipline of physics as one.

XI. Countries that have plural names take a singular verb. Again this is because the country is a single entity, considered as a whole. For example:

·         The United States of America is spearheading the world.

X. Plural nouns making one quantity take singular verbs. For example:

·         10 dollars is the right price.

·         Three kilometres is the exact distance.

Solved Example for You

Q: Fill in the blanks:

i.            Milk and eggs ___ a perfect food.

ii.            I, who ___ your friend, wish you success.

iii.            No news ___ ever good news.

Ans:

i.            is

ii.            am

iii.            is

source: https://www.toppr.com/guides/english/verb/subject-verb-concord/

 

 

 

Subject–Verb Agreement Rules

Key: subject = yellow, bold; verb = green, underline

 

Subjects and verbs must agree in number.

1.      If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.

Example: She writes every day.
Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in a managerial role at the organization.

2.      If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Example: They write every day.

Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

3.      When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.

Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.

Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of employees who left their jobs within 2 years are reflective of the level of job satisfaction.

4.      When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.

Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.

Example: An assumption is something that is generally accepted as true and is an important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

5.      When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence.

Example: The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.

Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.

Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.

Example: The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.

6.      When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by "or" or "nor," use a singular verb.

Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

7.      When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.

Example: The student or the committee members write every day.

Example: The committee members or the student writes every day.

8.      The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone," "everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and "no one" are singular and require a singular verb.

Example: Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.

Example: Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.

Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to everybody who participates in the study.

Example: No one was available to meet with me at the preferred times.

9.      Noncount nouns take a singular verb.

Example: Education is the key to success.

Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.

Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to include in the study.

Example: The research I found on the topic was limited.

10.  Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings, proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.

Example: The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.

Example: The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the city.

Example: Locally produced goods have the advantage of shorter supply chains.

11.  In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.

Example: There is little administrative support.

Example: There are many factors affecting teacher retention.

12.  Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are "group," "team," "committee," "family," and "class."

Example: The group meets every week.

Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

 

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is much less common.

Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their private lives.

Source: https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/subjectverbagreement

Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.
If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.

Rule 5a. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE:

The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal sentences like There's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are." Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE

In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly singular. However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage: "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.

Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was opposed OR were opposed to the bill.

NOTE

Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be accurate—and also consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following is the sort of flawed sentence one sees and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.
Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the plural they to staff in the same sentence.

Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding sentence would read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact:

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But Joe isn't actually here, so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates the subjunctive mood, which is used to express things that are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory. The subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.

Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed; therefore, were, which we usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the singular it. (Technically, it is the singular subject of the object clause in the subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second example, where a request is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is correct.

Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in formal speech and writing.

Source: https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/subjectVerbAgree.asp

 

What Are the Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement?

Twenty may seem like a lot of rules for one subject, but you'll quickly notice one ties into the next. In the end, it'll all make sense. (In the following examples, the agreeing subject is in bold and the verb is in italics.)

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept.

The dog growls when he is angry.
The dogs growl when they are angry.

2. Subordinate clauses that come between the subject and verb don't affect their agreement.

The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.

3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

4. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed after the verb. Some care needs to be taken to identify each part correctly.

There is a problem with the balance sheet.
Here are the papers you requested.

5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.

Where are the pieces of this puzzle?

6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form.

The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.

7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same person or thing as a whole.

Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.

8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular.

No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every man and woman is required to check in.

9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is singular.

Either Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

10. The only time the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like "some," "half," "none," "more," or "all" are followed by a prepositional phrase. Then the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.

All of the chicken is gone.
All of the chickens are gone.

11. The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement or time.

Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," the verb is plural.

Not only dogs but also cats are available at the animal shelter.

13. If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are connected by the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," or "not only/but also," use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).

Everybody wants to be loved.

15. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns "few," "many," "several," "both," "all," and "some." These always take the plural form.

Few were left alive after the flood.

16. If two infinitives are separated by "and," they take the plural form of the verb.

To walk and to chew gum require great skill.

17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form of the verb. However, when they are linked by "and," they take the plural form.

Standing in the water was a bad idea.
Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.

18. A collective noun, such as "team" or "staff," can be either singular or plural depending upon the rest of the sentence. Typically, they take the singular form, as the collective noun is treated as a cohesive single unit.

The herd is stampeding.

19. Titles of books, movies, novels, and other similar works are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.

20. Final rule: Remember, only the subject affects the verb! Nothing else matters.

Jacob, who owns sixteen houses, is on his way to becoming a billionaire.

To see more sentences showing the correct agreement of subject and verb, check out Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement. You can also download our shorter top 10 rules infographic and keep it handy.

Source: https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/sentences/20-rules-of-subject-verb-agreement.html

10 must know rules for Subject Verb Agreement – Grammar

bank-po, cat, cet, cmat, nmat, snap, xat / By CetKing

10 must know rules for Subject Verb Agreement – Grammar
Subject Verb Agreement is a very important concept in English grammar. Now, don’t get worried and don’t be like “Why do I need to learn this? How is this going to help me? Many of the MBA entrances including CAT test students on the questions based on the concepts of Subject Verb Agreement. Hence, it makes more sense to brush up what you so happily left behind in school! This post will give you ALL that you need to know about english grammar rules for subject verb agreement and how to use them in your exams:

A sentence is made up of 2 parts:
SUBJECT that tells us what the sentence is about. It can be either a noun (book,cars,Mary, etc)or a pronoun(they,she,etc).It can be either singular or plural.
VERB represents the action of a sentence (is, went, will place, have taken, etc)

How to make the subject and verb agree:
1.Identify the subject of the sentence.
2.Decide if the subject is singular or plural.
3.Lastly,decide which verb form will match with the subject.

Example:
The quality of the apples were not good.
In this,subject is the “quality of the apples” and the the verb is ‘were’.
Since the subject “the quality of the apples” is singular, the singular verb ‘was’ should have been used instead of ‘were’.
So the correct sentence is:
The quality of the apples was not good.

10 rules of Subject Verb Agreement

RULE1: The subject and verb must agree in number: both must be singular, or both must be plural.
Example:The car belongs to my brother.(SINGULAR)
They also play football.(PLURAL)

RULE2: The number of the subject (singular or plural) is not changed by words(or a phrase) that come in between the subject and the verb.
Example: One of the boxes is open.
Here,the subject “one” and the verb “is” are both singular.

RULE3: Some subjects always take a singular verb even though the meaning may seem plural.
Example: Someone in the game was (not were) hurt.

RULE4: The following words may be singular or plural, depending upon their use in a sentence: some,any, all, most.
Example: Most of the news is good. (singular)
Most of the flowers were yellow. (plural)

RULE5: Subjects joined by “and” are plural. Subjects joined by “or” or “Nor” take a verb that agrees with the last subject.
Example: Bob and George are leaving.
Neither Bob nor George is leaving.

RULE6: “There” and “here” are never subjects.In sentences that begin with these words, the subject is usually found later on in the sentence.
Example: There were five books on the shelf. (were, agrees with the subject “book”)

RULE7: Collective nouns may be singular or plural, depending on their use in the sentence.
Examples: The orchestra is playing a hit song. (Orchestra is considered as one unit—singular)
The orchestra were asked to give their musical backgrounds. (Orchestra is considered as separate units-plural)

RULE8: Some nouns, while plural in form, are actually singular in meaning.
Example: Mathematics is (not are) an easy subject for some people.

RULE9: “Doesn’t” is a contraction of “does not” and should be used only with a singular subject.”Don’t” is a contraction of “do not” and should be used only with a plural subject.
Example: He doesn’t(does not) like it.

RULE10:Nouns such as ‘civics’, ‘mathematics’,‘dollars’, and ‘news’ require singular verbs.
Eg.A million dollars is needed to renovate that building.

Subject-verb agreement is one of the most basic parts of English Grammer and commonly repeated in exams. Reviewing and practicising above rules alongwith few questions for each will help you fully- understand subject-verb agreement and avoid many of the common mistakes that occurs in the exam.

Source: https://cetking.com/10-must-know-rules-for-subject-verb-agreement-grammar/

 

Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement:

Rule 1:

Singular subjects need singular verbs, while plural subjects require plural verbs. ‘Be’ verbs change the most according to the number and person of the subject.  Other verbs do not change much on the basis of the subjects except the verbs of the simple present tense. If the subjects are a third person singular number, the verbs are used with s/es when they are in simple present tense. The verbs with s/es in the sentence are called singular verbs.

‘Be’ verbs according to number and person of the subject.

Person/Number	Singular	Plural
First	am	are
Second	are	are
Third	is	are

 Example: 

Person/Nmber	Singular	Plural
First	I am an excellent tennis player.	We are excellent tennis players.
Second	You are a nice person.	You all are nice people.
Third	Alex plays well under pressure. He is a good player.	They are good at chasing. They play well under pressure.

Rule 2:

When the prepositional phrases separate the subjects from the verbs, they have no effect on the verbs.

Example:

A study ^{(singular subject)} on African countries shows ^{(singular verb)}  that 80% of the people ^{(plural subject)} of this continent live ^{(plural verb)} below the poverty line.

The perspective of different people varies from time to time.

The fear of terrorists and militants has made them flee the city.

Rule 3:

Nouns connected by the conjunction and in the subject work as the plural subject and take a plural verb.

Example:

o    Alex and Murphy are coming here.

o    Robin and his friends want to go on a tour.

o    Apples and mangoes are my favorite fruits.

Rule 4:

If the conjunction ‘and’  is replaced by together with/ along with/ accompanied by/ as well as, the verb will have no effect for the later part of these expressions. The words prior to these expressions are the subjects.

Example:

o    Tom, along with his brothers is going to the city. (‘His brothers’ is not the subject of this sentence.)

o    Alex, as well as his parents, is coming to the party.

o    The boys, accompanied by their teacher Mr. Robbins are planning a tour.

Note: If these expressions are replaced by ‘and’, the subjects will be regarded as plurals, and so the verbs have to be plural.

Example: Tom and his brothers are going to the city.

Rule 5:

Some nouns are always singular and indefinite. When these nouns become the subjects, they always take singular verbs.

Any + singular noun	No + singular noun	Some + sin. noun	Every + sin. noun	Each + sin. noun
Anybody Anyone Anything	Nobody No one Nothing	Somebody Someone Something	Everybody Everyone Everything	Each student
				Either* Neither*

*Note:  Either and neither are singular if they are not used with or and nor.

Example:

o    Everybody wants to live happily.

o    Something is bothering him.

o    No human being lives in that house.

o    Neither of you is responsible enough to handle it.

o    Each student has to submit a separate assignment.

Rule 6:

Some nouns are always plural. These nouns have two parts.

Scissors, shorts, eyeglasses, pants, thongs, jeans, trousers, etc.

Example:

o    My pants are in the drawer.

o    Your eyeglasses are dirty.

o    These scissors are useless.

Note: If these words are preceded by the phrase a pair of, they will be regarded as singular subjects.

Example:

o    A pair of pants is needed.

o    This pair of trousers is ugly.

Rule 7:

None is a singular subject when it is used alone. When it is used with a prepositional phrase starting with of, the subject can be both plural and singular.

None + of the + singular noun + singular verb

 

None + of the + plural noun + plural verb

Example:

o    None of the money has been used.

o    None of the teacher wants failure for students.

o    None of the students want to fail.

o    None of the bottles are clean enough to keep water.

Note: No + plural noun takes plural verbs.

Example: no men are hungry now.  

Rule 8:

Either . . .  or, neither . . . nor, or, and nor take two nouns before and after them. The nouns placed after these conjunctions are regarded as the subjects of the sentence. The nouns placed prior to the words or and nor have no effect on the verbs.

Example:

o    Neither Alex nor his brothers are going to the party.

o    Either John and Alex or I am doing it.

o    I or Robert opens the door when someone comes.

o    Neither the boys nor we are responsible for it.

Rule 9:

The sentences beginning with here/there are different in structure. In this case, the subject comes after the verb.

Here/There + verb + subject . . . . . .

Example:

o    Here comes^(verb) the lion^(subject).

o    There is a pond near the house.

o    There are some candies on the table.

o    Here is the document for your car.

Rule 10:

Collective nouns are usually regarded as singular subjects.

Examples:

o    The committee has decided to postpone the game.

o    The family was ecstatic by the news.

o    The crowd enjoys the excitement in the game.

o    Twenty dollars is not a lot of money. (Here, the noun is plural, but the subject is regarded as a collective noun.)

Note:  The following phrases are also regarded as collective nouns and thus singular subjects.

Flock of birds/sheep, herd of cattle, pack of dogs/wolves, school of fish, pride of lions

Example:

o    A flock of sheep always moves together.

o    A pack of wolves is approaching towards the herd of cattle.

o    A school of fish always hides from the big fishes.

Rule 11:

A number of + noun is a plural subject, and it takes a plural verb. The number of + noun is a singular subject, and it takes a singular verb.

Example:

o    A number of dancers are coming to the party. (Indefinite number of dancers – plural)

o    The number of dancers coming to the party is 12. (Definite number of dancers – singular)

o    A number of people prefer cricket to football.

o    The number of days in this month is 28.

Rule 12:

If a gerund or an infinitive comes as a subject, the verb will always be singular.

Example:

o    Swimming is a good exercise.

o    Walking is a good habit.

o    Eating healthy food makes you healthy.

o    To err is human.

Rule 13:

 If the + an adjective appears as the subject of a sentence, it will be plural.

Example:

o    The pious are loved by God.

o    The industrious are always not successful.

o    The best do not lack integrity.

Source: https://www.learngrammar.net/english-grammar/subject-verb-agreement-rules-examples

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

A simple subject-verb agreement definition implies that the subject of the sentence and the verb of the sentence must be in agreement in number.

Let’s take an example to understand this concept.

Example 1: The dog is playing with his ball.

In this case, the subject of the sentence is ‘dog’ and the verb used is singular in nature, ‘is playing’.

Example 2: The dogs are playing with their ball.

In this case, the subject of the sentence is ‘dogs’ and the verb used is plural in nature, ‘are playing’.

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Let’s explore a series of subject-verb agreement rules required to ace questions based on Sentence Correction. 

RULE 1: When two subjects are joined by ‘and’, the verb is plural.

For example: My friend and his mother are in town.

RULE 2: When two singular nouns joined by ‘and’ refer to the same person or thing, the verb is singular. 
For example: The captain and coach of the team has been sacked.

In case these were two different individuals, two articles need to be used: The captain and the coach of the team have been sacked.            

RULE 3: Indefinite pronouns (everyone, each one, someone, somebody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody etc.) are always singular. 

For example:  Everyone is selfish.

We do not use 'are' in this sentence. 

This rule does not apply to: few, many, several, both, all, some.

RULE 4: When the percentage or a part of something is mentioned with plural meaning the plural verb is used.

For example: 40 of every 100 children are malnourished.

RULE 5: When the subjects joined by ‘either or’ or ‘neither nor’ are of different persons, the verb will agree in person and number with the noun nearest to it.

For example: Neither you nor your dogs know how to behave.

Either of the books is fine for MAT preparation.

Always remember that, when either and neither are used as pronouns, they are treated as singular and always take the singular verb. 

RULE 6: If connectives/appositives like along with, together with, as well as, accompanied by etc. are used to combine two subjects, the verb agrees with the subject mentioned first.

For example: Mr. Ram, accompanied by his wife Sita and his brother, was banished to the forest.

Sentence Correction: Concepts & Rules

·         Basics of Sentence Correction

·         Subject Verb Agreement - 1

·         Parallelism Error

·         Subject-Pronoun Agreement

·         Sentence Correction Exercise

·         Modifier Errors

·         Subject Verb Agreement - 2

·         Redundancy Error

·         Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise

RULE 7: A number of/ the number or

‘A number of (some countable noun)’ is always plural. ‘The number of (some countable noun)’ is always singular.

For example: A number of students are going on the trip.

RULE 8: The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.

For example: Five gallons of oil was required to get the engine running.

RULE 9: When any of ‘few, many, several, both, all, some’ is used with a countable noun, the verb is plural.

For example: Some men are needed for the battle.

RULE 10: When any of ‘few, many, several, both, all, some’ is used with an uncountable noun, the verb is singular.

For example: Some milk is spoilt.

Subject-Verb agreement is essential to make sure that a sentence is grammatically correct. Thus, the above ten basic rules can help you to master subject-verb agreement.

Source: https://www.hitbullseye.com/Subject-Verb-Agreement.php

 

Usage - Subject-Verb Agreement

Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural).  Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.

In present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways:  

                        nouns ADD an s to the singular form,

                                                    BUT

                        verbs REMOVE an s from the singular form.

                

Here are nine subject-verb agreement rules.

1.  A phrase or clause between subject and verb does not change the number of the subject.

                Examples:

                       

          

2.  Indefinite pronouns as subjects

·            Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs.

 

   

            

·            Plural indefinite pronoun subjects take plural verbs.

   PLURAL:  several, few, both, many

                      

                

·            Some indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural: with uncountable, use singular; with countable, use plural.

   EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL:  some, any, none, all, most

                                

                Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

                

                                

                Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

                           

          

3.  Compound subjects joined by and are always plural.

                     

             

4.  With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

                

          In the above example, the plural verb are agrees with the nearer subject actors.

 

                

            In this example, the singular verb is agrees with the nearer subject director.

                

5.  Inverted Subjects must agree with the verb.   

                

                

          

6.  Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.

                

            In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the verb is singular.

       

                

            In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the verb is plural.

       

                                  

7.  Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are always singular.

                

      

8.  Plural form subjects

·         Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb. (e.g. news, measles, mumps, physics, etc.)

                

             

·         Plural form subjects with singular or plural meaning take a singular or plural verb, depending on meaning.  (e.g. politics, economics, etc.)

                

    In this example, politics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

                

    In this example, politics refers to the many aspects of the situation; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

          

·         Plural form subjects with a plural meaning take a plural verb. (e.g.  scissors, trousers)

                

                                     

            Note:  In this example, the subject of the sentence is pair; therefore, the verb must agree with it.  (Because scissors is the object of the preposition, scissors does not affect the number of the verb.)

                

9.  With subject and subjective complement of different number, the verb always agrees with the subject.

                

                

 

10-A. With one of those ________ who, use a plural verb.

     

     The above example implies that others besides Hannah like to read comic books.  Therefore, the plural verb is the correct form to use. 

 

10-B.  With the only one of those ________who, use a singular verb.

 

     The above example implies that no one else except for Hannah likes to read comic books.  Therefore, the singular verb is the correct for to use.

                   

11-A.  With the number of _______, use a singular verb.
                             

 

11-B.  With a number of _______, use a plural verb.
              

 

12.  With every ______ and many a ________, use a singular verb.

                  

                

Source: https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/sub-verb.htm

 

The 24 Rules Of Concord

Concord in Grammar means the agreement between the subject and the verb or the agreement between a verb/predicate and other elements of clause structure.

In the use of concord rules in the English language, There are 24 rules of concord.
So let list and explain the 24 rules of concord one by one – keep reading.

Lesson On The 24 Rules Of Concord

Rule 1

Subject and verb concord
When the subject in a sentence is singular, the verb should also be singular.
For example,
She (singular subject) goes (singular verb), not: She go ( plural verb). Also, when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

The girls (plural subject) go (plural verb), not The girls (plural subject) goes (Singular verb).

Rule 2

Subject and Object concord
When everybody or everyone is used, the object must be singular, not plural.

For example
Everybody knows his or her name, not: Everybody knows their name.

Rule 3

Mandative subjunctive concord
When prayer, suggestion, wish, demand, recommendation, or resolution is used in a sentence, the verb that follows must be plural, whether the subject is singular or plural.
For example;

1.      It has been suggested that he go not goes away.

2.      The board has Recommend that the manager resign not resigns.

3.      I pray that God help me on my upcoming examination, not God helps.

Rule 4

The Principle of proximity
This principle states that when there is a list of nouns or pronouns at the level of the subject, it is the nearest noun or pronoun to the position of the verb that will determine the choice of the verb.

E.g
If James fails his examination, his teachers, his parents, his friends, or John ( ) to be blame.
The correct option to fill that blank space is, “is” not “are” because, at the subject level, we have his teachers, his friends, his parents and John ( four different people).
In order to choose the correct verb, we will need to choose the nearest subject to the gap as the subject, which is John.

Note: what makes us consider the only one noun or pronoun used in this sentence is because of the use of “or.” However, if the conjunction used is “and,” all the nouns or pronouns used in the sentence will be considered as the subject. I’ll explain better when I get to the type of such concord.

Back to James.
But if the question comes in this manner, the answer will be different,
For example,
If James fails his examination, his teachers, his parents, his friends, or I ( ) to be blame.

The correct answer here is “am,” because the pronoun “I” is the nearest subject to the gap, so if “I” is the subject, the verb that goes with it, is “am.” – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 5

Many – a concord
When many – a is used, the verb and the noun that follows must be Singular
E.g

1.      Many a candidate (not candidates) speaks ( not speak) bad English expressions.

2.      Many a girl (not girls) is (not are) here.

The actual meaning of statements 1 and 2 are many candidates and many girls.

Rule 6

A pair of concord
When  “a pair of” is used, the verb must be singular.

For example,

1.      A pair of trousers (not trouser) lies(not lie) on the bed.

2.      A pair of scissors lies (not lie) on the table.

Rule 7

National Concord
National concord is also called collective noun concord.
A collective noun: is a noun that stands for many units that constitute that single word.
For example,

1.      An audience which means people who watch programs.

2.      The congregation, which means worshipers.

3.      Clergy which means religion officers.

4.      A club, which means the association of members.

So whenever, you use a collective noun, the verb that follows must be a plural verb

For example,
Club: is a collective noun for members, so, we can also say, members of this association.

§  Our club meet ( not meets) ones in a week.

However, in some situations, a singular verb goes with a collective noun. Here is the principle;

If the collective noun performs an action, a plural verb follows, but if not, a singular verb follows.

1.      Our Club is celebrating its twentieth anniversary today.
In the above statement, you can see that; Our Club performs no action, hence, a singular verb is used.
But;

2.      Our Club are (not is) going on a vacation tomorrow.
You can see that; the above sentence is different from the first sentence, here the club is performing an action “going,” hence, we will use a plural verb (are) in compliance with the rule.

3.      The audience are (not is) partial in their judgment of the winner. The answer is “are” because the collective noun (audience) performs an action “judgment.”

Rule 8

Parenthesis
The parenthesis statement is an additional statement to what has already been said before.
Note A parenthetical statement should not be considered in choosing the verb that will follow.

E.g

1.      The teacher, not her students is in the class.
The correct answer is, is because ( not her students) is just parenthesis, and parenthesis has nothing to do with choosing the verb.

2.      The manager, not many of his workers, is (not are) here now. not many of his workers is just a parenthesis, therefore, the parenthesis should be ignored.
The manager is a singular noun, hence a singular verb.

Rule 9

Accompaniment Concord
When any of these following words are used, the subject of the clause would be the noun and pronoun that comes before the marker of accompaniment.top↑

Words like as much as, alongside, as well as, together with, no less than, in association with, including, like, with, and in collaboration with, etc

1.      Example 1
Mary,  as well as her friends, is ( not are) beautiful.
The answer is, “is” because mary is the noun that comes before as well as, hence mary is the subject and it is a singular noun hence a singular verb.

2.      Example 2
The little kids alongside their parents are  (not is) here.
The answer is are not is because the little kids come before alongside. The subject is plural hence a plural verb.

Rule 10

More than concord
When more than is used, the word or number that comes after more than will determine the next verb.
For example

1.      More than two apples are ( not is) here.

2.      More than one oranges is (not are) here.

In the first statement, the answer is “are” not is because two attracts are but in the second statement, the correct option is, “is” not are because one attracts is.
Note: Do not think because more than one means at least two, that you will use a plural verb after, no, you will use a singular verb – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 11

Indefinite pronoun concord
When any of the following words are used, you should use a Singular verb
Such words as; Everybody, everything, everyone, everywhere, no one, nothing, nobody, nowhere, something, someone, somebody, anyone, anything, anybody, anywhere and each. the next verb must be singular.

For example

1.      Nothing goes ( not go).

2.      Everybody likes (not like) him.

3.      Everybody thinks (not think) he stole the money.

Rule 12

Relative Concord
When who, whose, which and that refers to a previously mentioned noun or pronoun, such noun is a Relative noun

Example:

1.      One of the farmers who plant (not plants) on the farm has (not have) been asked to withdraw.

Rule 13

Uncountable nouns of concord
Countable nouns are nouns that can be quantified in units and numbers, that is, are nouns that can be counted.
E.g chairs, tables, phones, and so forth.

Uncountable nouns are nouns that cannot be quantified in units and numbers.
E.g water, information, equipment.

Note all uncountable nouns will avoid “s” at the back.
It is wrong to use any of these words below;
E.g informations, clothes, equipments, furnitures, machineries, datas, advices, evidences, wealths, and so forth.
Instead, you say a piece of, information, evidence, data, cloth, equipment, advice, etc
It is wrong to say machineries instead, you say a machine or two machines.

Other examples of nouns that attract plural verbs are;

1.      The police work hard (not works), but, that policeman (not policemen) works (not work) hard.
police and policemen are collective nouns that is why they attract a plural verb from the seventh rule.
But policeman is not collective noun but a singular noun, hence a singular verb

2.      The headquarters look (not looks) palatial.

3.      Cattle give (not gives) bad odor, and a cow gives bad odor.

4.      Aircraft make (not makes) traveling easier but, that chopper, airbus, or airplane makes traveling easier.

All the four examples attract plural verb because the subject in each example is a collective noun.

Rule 14

Pluralia tantums
Pluralia tantum are nouns that come in plural forms.
Some of these words have final “s”, while some do not. However, whenever any of the following forms appear, it must be followed by a singular verb.

1.      School Subject: Mathematics, Economics, Civics, Physics, Statistics, and so forth. You can see that all of the words end with “s” but it does not show plurality.

2.      Games: Darts, Snakes and Ladders, Draughts, Billiards, Bowls and Skittles, and so forth, all end with “s” but do not show plurality.

3.      Diseases: Measles, Tuberculosis, Shingles, Mumps, and so on, all end with “s” but do not show plurality.

4.      Others: titles, news, series, means, and so forth.

Examples,

1.      The series of incidents makes (not make) me shudder.

2.      The means of transport hastens (not hasten) traveling.

Note: There are some nouns that do not appear as singular at all but as plurals and they often attract plural verbs.

Such words are: Funds (money), annals, spirits, surroundings, guts, earnings, arms (weapons), auspices, the middle ages, entrails, bowels, quarters ( headquarters), banns, means, holidays, stars, suds, wages, thanks, riches, writs, savings, remains, ashes, goods ( product), arrears, outskirts, pains, particulars, fireworks, and so forth.

All these nouns not verbs cannot appear without “s” and, hence they attract plural verbs

Examples:

1.      His manners are (not is) good

2.      The remains (corpse) of the boy have ( not has) been buried.

Rule 15

Double title subject concord
When two subjects are joined together by “and” but the two subjects refer to only one person or thing, a singular verb should be used.

Example:

1.      Our principal and mathematics teacher knows me.

In the above sentence, our principal and mathematics teacher is not two different people but, our principal is also our mathematics teacher, hence the subject is our principal, and it is a singular noun, hence, singular verb.

Consider this example:,

1.      Our principal and the mathematics teacher.

This is quite different from the first sentence because the principal and the mathematics teacher are two different subjects because of the use of “the” Mathematics teacher
Hence, in this second sentence, you use a plural verb – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 16

Co-ordinate concord
When two subjects are joined together by and, the verb to be used should be plural.

Examples:

1.      James and John are (not is) here.

2.      Elizabeth and Johnson know (not knows) me.

Rule 17

Categorization concord
When a collective name, denoting category (not a collective noun) is used, the verb to be used must be plural.

Categories like: the poor, the rich, the wealthy, the successful, the gifted, the weak, the young in spirit, the handicapped, the helpless, and so forth. The verb to be used should be plural.

Examples:

1.      The poor need help (not helps or needs) from the government.

2.      The young are (not is) disobedient.

3.      The weak are (not is) left to their fates.

Rule 18

Plural number concord
When amount or unit is mentioned in a statement, units such as five thousand, three hundred, percent, twenty meters, five times, and so on. The next verb must be singular.

Examples:

1.      Two pounds of flour is (not are) too few to bake a cake.

2.      Ten percent of my earnings goes (not go) to my wife.

Rule 19

Mathematical facts
When mathematical facts are used, such as subtraction, multiplication, addition, division, and so forth, are used, the verb will be any of Singular and plural, that is, a singular or plural verb can be used when mathematical facts are used.

Examples:

1.      Ten plus ten is or are ( are and is are both correct) twenty.

2.      Ten multiplied by two is or are twenty.

Both singular and plural are correct.

Rule 20

Every + plural number concord
When every precedes a plural, the next verb is plural.

Examples:

1.      Every ten liters of oil bought come (not comes) with a bonus of an extra liter.

But when “every” appears without any plural number, the verb is singular.

Examples:

1.      Every boy (not boys) likes girls.

2.      Every man (not men) likes football.

When and joins two or more subjects with every or each, the verb should be singular.

Examples:

1.      Every man and woman speaks ( not speak) good English here.

2.      Every student and teacher comes ( not come) to school early – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 21

Most or much concord
When most is used, the verb will either be singular or plural, depending on whether the referent is a countable or uncountable noun,

Examples:

1.      Most of the boys (countable noun) are tall.

2.      Most of the time (uncountable noun), John has (not have) always been there for her.

When Much is used in a statement, the verb to be used must be singular.

Examples:

1.      Much of the water has (not have) been spilled.

Rule 22

All concord
When all appears, it means either everything or all the people.
When all means everything, the verb to be used should be Singular but when all means all the people, the verb to be used should be plural.

Examples:

1.      All are already seated in the hall.
In the above sentence, “All” means all the people are already seated in the hall hence a plural verb.

2.      But;
All is well with me.
In the above sentence, “All” means everything is well with me hence a singular verb.

When all but is used, the following verb should be plural
Example:

1.      All but John are (not is) on the bus. That means, only John is absent.

Rule 23

Either or neither concord
When either or neither joins two singular nouns together, the following verb should be Singular.

Examples:

1.      Either John or Jackson knows (not know) me.

2.      Neither Mary nor her friend was (not were) here.

But, when either or neither joins two subjects (one singular and the other plural), the verb should be chosen by considering the nearer of the two subjects.

Examples:

1.      Either James or his friends know me.

You can see that the word “friends” is nearer to the verb gap than it is near James.

These rules also apply, when “but or but even” joins two subjects.

Examples:

1.      Not only Sola but even teachers laugh in school.

2.      Not Lawrence but James speaks good English.

You can see that the word James is nearer to the verb gap than it is near Lawrence, hence, you use singular verb.

Rule 24

Each and one of concord
When each appears in concord, a singular noun + a singular verb will be chosen.

Example:

1.      Each boy (not boys) has a car.

But, when “each of or one” of appears, the next noun should be plural but the next verb should be singular.
Example:

1.      Each of the candidates (not candidate) stands (not stand) a good chance to win a scholarship.

We have come to the end of today’s class session on the 24 rules of concord.

Additional Reading On The 24 Rules Of Concord

These are other important class sessions you might have missed the 7 rules of quotation mark, when and how to use a semicolon, how to use comma splice rules, the 10 comma rules, stative and non conclusive verbs, how to use so in a sentence, and the 117 common grammar mistakes – the 24 rules of concord.

Source: https://acadel.org/concord/