Subject-Verb Agreement - A Complete Guide

What is Subject-Verb agreement?

In a sentence, the verb agrees with the subject in number and person. This agreement is called the Subject-verb agreement.

The agreement is – A singular verb agrees with a singular subject and a plural verb agrees with a plural subject.

First you should have a clear idea of what a Singular or plural subject is and what a singular or plural verb is.

Remember:

When you add -s/-es/-ies to a singular noun, the noun becomes plural.

The base form (first form) of a verb is plural. But, when you add -s/-es/-ies the base form of a verb, the verb becomes singular. 

Examples –

Singular Subject and Singular Verb:

Singular Subjects	Singular verbs
He, She, It, This, That, John, Peter, Brie, Emma etc.	Does, is, was, has, goes, comes, plays, writes, sleeps, loves etc.

All the singular subjects will agree with the singular verbs.

Use: 

• He does not know my name. 
• He is my friend. 
• She is not a doctor. 
• She has a pet dog. 
• John has gone to school everyday. 
• John plays cricket

Plural Subjects and Plural Verbs:

Plural Subjects	Plural verbs
We, You, They, These, Those, Men, Women, The boys, The girls etc.	Do, are, were, have, go, come, play, write, sleep, love etc.

Use:

• We do not play chess. We are going to school.
• You are wasting your time. You were making noise.
• They were calling me. 
• They have bought a new car.
• John and Peter play chess during the break at school.
• Peter and Emma are talking to each other.

The following table explains how subjects and verbs should correctly be used in sentences -

Subject	Verb	Agreed or not
Singular	Singular	✓ Agreed (Correct sentence)
Plural	Plural	✓ Agreed (Correct sentence)
Singular	Plural	✗ Not Agreed (Incorrect sentence)
Plural	Singular	✗ Not Agreed (Incorrect sentence)

 Exception: 

The pronoun 'I' is singular, but sometimes I agrees with plural verbs and sometimes with singular ones. 

With singular verbs:

I was. (Correct)

I were. (Usually incorrect)

With plural verbs:

I do, I have, I go, I sleep, I have ... (Correct)

I does, I has, I goes, I sleeps, I has ... (Incorrect)

That’s all about the agreement between the subject and the verb.

Now you know what the subject-verb agreement is.

But the main problem we face is - identifying the subjects.

If you take a wrong word as the subject, you'll put a wrong verb with it too.

So, let us identify the subject correctly.

Identifying the Subject: 

You know that a singular verb agrees with a singular subject and a plural verb agrees with a plural subject.

But, what if you can't identify the subject itself?

Because, most of the time, we assume that the word just beside the verb is the subject, we put a wrong verb with it.

For example, 

One of the boys __________ (have/has) broken the window.

Which verb will you choose to fill in the blank with?

'have'    Right?

Because, the word 'boys' is just before the verb. So it must be the subject, which is plural. And you'll put the plural verb have there. Isn't it?

But wait, 

You know what? 'boys' is not the subject. 

The subject is 'one of the boys', where, the first word 'One' denotes the number of the whole subject. 'One' is singular, so, the subject 'One of the boys' is also singular.

[For your understanding, you can also take 'One' as the subject, which is singular in number.]

So, the subject 'One of the boys' is singular, and you'll use the singular verb - 'has' with it. -

One of the boys __   has  __  broken the window.

How will you correctly identify the subject?

There are many ways -

• Generally the first word of a sentence is the subject.
• The subject may be just before the verb.
• The word after the adjective is the subject.
• The subject is always a noun / a pronoun / an adjective+noun.
• The answers of who and what are the subjects. 

And so on.

Pick out the subjects from the following sentences –

1. The students are well acquainted with the world-map.

2. Is the cover of the book torn?

3. The farmers of the country is happy with the farm law.

4. People from across the world come to Goa to enjoy their holidays.

5. One of the boys is busy on his cell phone.

I think you’ve found them correctly.

The students in sentence 1, The cover in 2, The farmers in 3, People in 4 and One in sentence 5 are the subjects. 

Alright.

So, you know the subjects, 

Can you find whether the subjects and the verbs are used according to their agreement?

Let's check. 

Subject	Verb	Agreement followed or not
1. The students (plural)	are (plural)	Followed ✓
2. The cover (singular)	is (singular)	Followed ✓
3. The farmers (plural)	is (singular)	Not followed ✗
4. People (plural)	come (plural)	Followed ✓
5. One (singular)	are (plural)	Not followed ✗

You can see that in sentence 3 and sentence 5, the subject-verb agreement is not followed. So, those sentences are incorrect.

Alright, 

Now let's see some types of subjects. 

Some Subject Types:

 Type 1:     Words joined by “and”:

When two or more nouns/pronouns are joined by and, it becomes a plural subject, and hence takes a plural verb.

E.g. – 

• John is my friend (subject and verb both are singular).  [correct]
• Peter is my friend (subject and verb both are singular).  [correct]
• John and Peter are my friends (subject and verb both are plural).  [correct]
• John and Peter is my friends (subject plural but verb singular).  [Incorrect]

Likewise, 

• My brother and I play football everyday.
• Jack and Sheamus were punished yesterday.
• Benn and I have started a new business.  
• Lucy and her parents are going for a picnic.

 Exceptions: – 

 #1  Word Pairs –

Word pairs are two words joined by a conjunction. They are used as a single phrase and hence they are singular.

Some examples of word-pairs are  – 

Bread and butter, Rice and curry,

Bag and baggage, Fish and chips, 

Truth and honesty.

E.g. – 

• Bread and butter is my breakfast. (correct)
• Bread and butter are my breakfast. (incorrect)

• Rice and curry was served there. (correct)
• Rice and curry were served there. (incorrect)

• Her bag and baggage was thrown out of her room. (correct)
• Her bag and baggage were thrown out of her room. (incorrect) 

 #2  Two nouns denoting one single person:

Often two nouns, joined by and, act as a single word if they refer to a single person. So thus subject takes a singular verb.

Eg. –

• The Headmaster and sectary was present there. (correct) 
• The Headmaster and sectary were present there. (incorrect) 

• My uncle and guardian is going to meet my teacher. (correct) 
• My uncle and guardian are going to meet my teacher. (incorrect) 

• The great singer and poet is dead. (correct)
• The great singer and poet are dead. (incorrect)

Explanation:

In the first sentence, “The Headmaster and secretary”, in the second example, “My uncle and guardian” and in the 3rd example, “The great singer and poet”, each of them refers to a single person. 

But how?

As in “The Headmaster and secretary”, there is one article/determiner, ie. ‘The’, before the first noun, it is obvious that “the Headmaster” and “sectary” are actually the same person.

If the phrase was “The Headmaster and the sectary”, then it would refer to two different persons. The subject would be plural and would take a plural verb.

As in, 

• The Headmaster and the sectary were present there. (correct)
• The Headmaster and the sectary was present there. (incorrect)

— Here the Headmaster is one person and the secretary is another person.

Similarly, in the 2nd example, if the subject was “My uncle and my guardian” then it would be plural and would take a plural verb.

• My uncle and my guardian are going to meet my teacher. (correct) 
• My uncle and my guardian is going to meet my teacher. (incorrect)

— Here My uncle is one person and my guardian is another.

• The great singer and the poet are dead. (correct)
• The great singer and the poet is dead. (incorrect)

— Here "the singer" is one person and "the poet" is another.

For this, you only have to notice whether there is an article/determiner before each noun (person).

 #3  'Each' or 'No'+ two nouns joined by ‘and’:

If the subject is two singular nouns/pronouns joined by ‘and’ and Each or Every or No is used before the subject, then the subject is singular; hence a singular verb is used there.

E.g. – 

• Each boy and girl is in uniform. (correct)
• Each boy and girl are in uniform. (incorrect)

• Each actor and each actress has played their parts very well. (correct)
• Each actor and each actress have played their parts very well. (incorrect)

• Every man and every woman works sincerely. (correct)
• Every man and every woman work sincerely. (Incorrect)

• No actor and no actress has played their parts very well. (correct)
• No actor and no actress have played their parts very well. (incorrect)

 Type 2:     Adjectives joined by ‘and’:

When the subject is - two adjectives joined by ‘and’ + singular noun, and a single article is used before the first adjective, it is a singular subject. Use a singular verb with it.

Like, 

• A black and white dog is barking. (correct)
• A black and white dog are barking. (incorrect) 

 Exception: 

If there is an article before each adjective, then the subject will be plural.

Like,

• A black and a white dog are barking. (correct)
• A black and a white dog is barking. (incorrect) 

 Type 3:     Words joined by ‘Or’

If two nouns or pronouns are joined by ‘or’ and used as the subject, then the subject is singular. Therefore a singular verb is used.

E.g. –

• John or his brother is coming. (correct) 
• John or his brother are coming. (incorrect) 

• Peter or Henry was leaning at the window. (correct)
• Peter or Henry were leaning at the window. (incorrect)

 Exceptions: 

In case the words are of different number, one is singular and the other is plural, the plural is placed after ‘or’ and a plural verb is used.

Like,

• The teacher or the students were invited. (correct)
• The teacher or the students was invited. (incorrect)
• The students or the teacher were invited. (incorrect)
• The students or the teacher was invited. (incorrect)

• Mr. Harker or his sons are coming today. (correct)
• Mr. Harker or his sons is coming today. (incorrect)
• The sons of Mr. Harker or Mr Harker himself are coming today. (incorrect)
• The sons of Mr. Harker or Mr Harker himself is coming today. (incorrect)

 Type 4:     Either...or / Neither...nor:

When the subject is two singular nouns joined by either...or / neither...nor, then the subject is singular. So use a singular verb with it.

E.g. -

• Either Peter or his brother is guilty. (correct) 
• Either Peter or his brother are guilty. (incorrect) 

• Either Mukesh or Nitin has won the chess tournament.  (correct) 
• Either Mukesh or Nitin have won the chess tournament. (Incorrect)

• Neither Neha nor Ankita was able to answer the question. (Correct)
• Neither Neha nor Ankita were able to answer the question. (Incorrect)

• Neither Rohit nor Hardik is going to achieve the man of the match title.  (correct)
• Neither Rohit nor Hardik are going to achieve the man of the match title. (Incorrect)

 Type 5:     Each, Either, Neither:

 I.  Each, either, neither as the subject: 

Each, either, neither are called distributive pronouns. These pronouns are singular. So, they are used as the subject, they take singular verbs.

E.g. –

• More than a thousand students read in this school. Each is disciplined. 
• There a cycle and a motorcycle, either is Mohan’s.
• I brought two pens, neither writes well.

 II.  Each/Either/Neither + singular noun:

If you use Either/Neither + singular noun as the subject, it is singular. And use a singular verb as well.

For example, 

• Each girl runs first.
• Each pen writes well.
• Either mobile-phone is very expensive. 
• Either horse runs too fast.
• Neither student is lazy.
• Neither girl is negligent. 

 III.  Each/Either/Neither of + plural noun/pronoun:

If Either of + plural noun/pronoun is used as the subject, this subject is singular as there is Each at the beginning. So use a singular verb here.

E.g. –

• Either of these mobile-phones is very expensive. 
• Either of the horses runs too fast.
• Either of the boys is guilty.

 IV.  Plural noun + each :

If the structure of the subject is – plural noun + each, it is plural. So, use a plural verb with it.

For example,

• The students each carry a schoolbag. (correct)
• The students each carries a schoolbag.  (Incorrect)

• The children each are happy to have chocolates. (correct)
• The children each is happy to have chocolates. (Incorrect)

• They each have a cell-phone. (Correct)
• They each has a cell-phone. (Incorrect)

 

 Type 6:     Every:

Every is singular. It is an adjective, always preceded by a singular noun. 

We use "every" to denote each and all of the members of a group considered singly and without exception. A singular verb is used with it.

When Every + noun is used as the subject, a singular verb is used with it. 

E.g. –

• Every student has to attend the seminar.
• Every man is mortal.
• Every participant performs gracefully. 
• Every boy was awarded.

 Type 7:     Everything, Everybody, Everyone, Somebody, Someone, Anybody, Nobody ...:

 I.      Everything, nothing, everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, anybody, anyone, anybody, nobody, one, no one etc. are some indefinite pronouns and are singular. So they take singular verbs.

For example,

• Everybody was prepared for the exam.
• Everybody has identity cards here.
• Everyone was punished.
• Someone has taken my pencil.
• As soon as I reached there, I saw everything was in a perfect order.
• Nothing is impossible on this earth.
• Has anybody seen my wallet? 

 II.      Remember, when you’re using a question tag with sentences having subjects like everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, anybody, anyone, anybody, nobody etc. you'll use ‘they’ as the subject and use a plural verb.

For example,

• Everybody was prepared for the exam, weren’t they?
• Everybody has identity cards here, haven’t they?
• Everyone was punished, weren’t they?
• Someone has taken my pencil, haven’t they?

Look at the sentences above, the statement each have a singular subject. And the question tags have plural subjects and plural verbs.

 III.         If the subject is Everything / nothing / nobody / one / no one / none + of + plural noun or pronoun, the subject is still singular. And use a singular verb wit them.

E.g. –

• Everyone of them was guilty.
• None of you is insincere. 
• Anybody of us has to go to the shop.

 Type 8:     Everything but...:

When you see a sentence starting in “Everything but” + noun, the subject is “Everything” itself. As ‘everything’ is singular, a singular verb is used with it.

E.g. –

• Everything but my shoes was found.

[You can also write this sentence as Everything (but my shoes) was found.

Meaning: Everything was found (but my shoes  were not found).]

• Everything but your armchair was sold.

[Meaning: Everything was sold (but your armchair was not).]

 Type 9:     Nothing but... / None but...:

 I    When the subject is “Nothing but” /  “Nothing but” + singular noun, it is singular. And a singular verb is used.

E.g. –

• Nothing but a small hut is seen from here.
• Nothing but a tree was there in front of our house. 
• None but a girl is coming this way.
• None but Mitchel was present there.

Actually, sentences, the singular nouns after “nothing but” are the subjects. They are singular, and so they take singular verbs.

 II     When the subject is “Nothing but” + plural noun, it is plural. And use a plural verb.

E.g. –

• Nothing but trees were there.
• Nothing but some small huts are seen from here.
• Nothing but the rings were found.
• None but the teachers have to come to school today.
• None but Peter and Alex were playing badminton.

 Type 10:     One of + plural noun

When the subject is “One of” + plural noun or pronoun, the subject is singular. And it takes a singular verb.

E.g. –

• One of the girls has performed well.
• One of my friends is coming today.
• One of the students has fallen ill.

[Actually, here, ‘One’ is the subject that is singular.]

 Type 11:     Lots of / a lot of / plenty of ...:

Suppose, the subject is – Lots of / a lot of / plenty of / a quarter of / part of / percent of / one fourth of / one fifth of / most of / half if / some of / all of / a good deal of etc. + noun.

Okay?

After one of those phrases, a noun is used. If this noun is singular, the subject also is singular and use a singular verb.

And,

If the noun is plural, the subject also becomes plural, and use a plural verb.

Hope you got it.

Examples:

Plural nouns & plural verbs:

• Lots of students were present in the seminar.
• plenty of books are sold everyday from our shop.

Singular nouns & singular verbs:

• A lot of water is there in the tank.
• A plenty of milk is exported everyday from our dairy. 

 Type 12:     “More than...” :

I.  “More than one...” + Noun:

If the subject is “More than one” + singular  noun, the noun here is always singular. And the subject also is singular. Hence a singular verb is used. 

For example, 

More than one girl was looking for this book. (Correct)

More than one girls were looking for this book. (Incorrect)

More than one book is there on the table. (Correct)

More than one books are there on the table. (Incorrect)

 II.  “More than two/three/four...” + Noun:

If the subject starts with “More than two/three/four...” + plural noun, the subject will be plural and a plural verb is used.

For example,

• More than two girls were looking for this book. (Correct)
• More than two girls was looking for this book. (Incorrect)

• More than four books are there on the table. (Correct)
• More than four books was there on the table. (Incorrect)

 III.  “More + plural noun + than one” 

If the subject is “More + plural noun + than one”, it is plural and a plural verb will be used.

E.g. –

• More boys than one have participated in the competition. (Correct)
• More boys than one has participated in the competition. (Incorrect)

• More glasses than one were broken. (Correct)
• More glasses than one was broken. (Incorrect) 

 Type 13:     Number / Numbers?:

What is “Number”? Is it singular or plural?

“A number” is plural.

“The number” is singular.

“Number” or “Numbers” is not used in any sentence.

“A number” refers to many / a good many / a great many. So it is plural. When “A number” is the subject, it takes a plural verb.

E.g. –

• A number of audience have come to watch the match.
• A number of poor people are served by our PDS.
• A number of children come to this park everyday.

“The number” refers to any cardinal number or the numerical value of a noun. This value is always considered singular. So, “The number” is always singular.

 

Therefore, when “The number” is the subject, it is singular and takes a singular verb.

Let’s have a look at the example below -

• The number of audience present is insignificant.
•  The number of students in the class is increasing.

Here ‘The number’ may refer to one hundred or two hundred or whatever. The number is insignificant. 

Look, the subject “The number” is insignificant, not the plural noun.

Right?

 Type 14:     Few / a few / very few:

 I.  If the subject is Few or A few or Very few, it is plural. So, use a plural verb.

E.g. – 

• Few are left.
• A few were present there.
• Very few were awarded.

 II.  When the subject is Few / A few / Very few + plural noun, it is plural. Use a plural verb with it.

E.g. –

• Few chocolates are left.
• Only a few girls were present there.
• Very few students have scored more than 80%. 

 III.  When the subject is Few / A few / Very few + of + plural noun or pronoun, the subject is still plural. Use a plural subject with it.

E.g. –

• Few of the chocolates are left.
• Only a few of the girls were present there.
• Very few of th0e students have scored more than 80%.

 Type 15:     Both:

 I.  The word ‘Both’ is a plural noun. It refers to two things or people together. So, use a plural verb.

For example, 

• Both have cars.
• Both do not know how to drive a car.
• Both were punished.

 II.  If the subject is “Both” + a plural noun, it is plural. Use a plural verb with it. 

E.g. –

• Both pens write well.
• Both players have gifted us a spectacular match.

 III.  If the subject is “Both of the” + plural noun, then it is still plural. Use a plural verb with it.

• Both of the pens write well.
• Both of the players have gifted spectacular matches.

 Type 16:     All:

 I.  ‘All’ has two meaning – first “the total number of things or people.” And the second is “everyone or everything”.

In the first case, it is plural. So, you can use a plural verb there. And in the second case, it is singular, so use a singular verb there.

When you see a sentence with ‘All’ as the subject, you cannot determine in which sense it is used. So, without being worried use either verb – singular or plural.

You are well acquainted with the expression – All is well, isn’t it? It’s correct sentence. 

But, if you say “All are well” – it is not incorrect, it is correct too.

The only difference is, that in the first sentence, ‘All’ means ‘everything’, while in the second sentence, ‘All’ means the total number of things.

Hope you got it. 

 II.  If the subject is “All” or “All of” + noun / pronoun, the verb will be according to the noun/pronoun. If the noun/pronoun is singular, the subject is singular, if it is plural, the subject is also plural.

E.g. –

• All the artists were invited.
• All of them have participated in the festival.

• All the money was spent.
• Not all of the water was used.

 Type 17:     Certain Words that Denote Class:

First, Let’s fill in the blanks – 

The rich ______ (is/are) privileged.

The poor ______ (is/are) laborious.

Rich and poor – both the words are singular.

 Right?

But, when they follow a 'the', they become plural. 

How?

Rich means wealthy. But The rich refers to all the people who belong to the wealthy class. That is how it is plural. Use a plural verb with it.

In the same way, Poor is one who doesn’t have money. But The poor refers to all the people belonging to the poor class. So, the poor is plural, use a plural verb with it.

Therefore the answer of both the questions is ‘are’.

• The rich are privileged.
• The poor are laborious.

 Type 18:     Money and Currency:

 I.  The noun ‘money’  uncountable. All uncountable nouns are singular. Therefore, ‘money’ is singular. Use a singular verb with it.

E.g. –

• How much money is required?
• A lot of money is still required.

 II.  The amount of money that is expressed in currency (unit) can be both singular and plural. 

If the subject (amount of money) refers to a single measurement, it is singular and use a singular verb there.

And if the subject (amount of money) refers to separate measurements, it is plural. Use a plural verb there.

For example, 

Single Measurement  (Singular)	Separate Measurements (Plural)
Five hundred rupees is not enough.	Thousands of rupees were spent to build the temple.
Ten thousand rupees is required.	There are five dollars in my pocket.
Forty rupees is the cost of this chocolate.	How many dollars were spent?

 Type 19:     Time:

 I.  The word ‘Time’ itself is singular. So, it takes singular verbs.

E.g. –

• As time passes, things will get better.
• Time is money.
• Time waits for no one.

 II.  The period of time that is expressed in units like – seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks etc. can be both singular and plural. 

If the subject refers to a single measurement, it is singular and use a singular verb there.

And if the subject (cardinal number + plural units) refers to separate measurements, it is plural. Use a plural verb there.

The examples are as follows -

Single Measurement  (Singular)	Separate Measurements (Plural)
Five years is not a short period.	Ten years have passed.
Only three hours is allotted.	How many hours did you spend there?

 Type 20:     Collective Nouns:

Is a collective noun singular? or is it plural?

A collective noun may be singular or plural depending on the context of he sentence.

 I.  A collective noun is a singular noun and is followed by a singular verb if it is used as a single body or group.

• The jury is still out. Or, the jury was unanimous in its decision.
• The family is living together now

 II.  A collective nouns is used as a plural noun and is followed by a plural verb if they are used as individuals.

• The jury were divided in their opinions.
• The family were living in different places.

 III.   Gentry, Clergy, Peasantry, People, audience, cattle, majority, folk etc. are some collective nouns which are always plural.

E.g. -

• The people are happy with the performance of the Government.
• The majority of the customers prefer it.

 Type 21:     Noun and the Number:

 

 I.    Certain nouns are always exist in plural form and hence take  plural verbs.

E.g. –

Dress – Trousers, pants, jeans, shocks, shorts, breeches, shoes etc.

Articles – Scissors, Goggles, spectacles, sun-glasses, clothes, pyjamas, shorts, pants, knickers, pantaloons, trousers,  handcuffs, binoculars, clippers, tongs, cards (playing cards) , goods, etc.

Others – surroundings, congratulations, regards, alphabet, people, earnings, savings, assets, funds, arrears, thanks, upstairs, downstairs, tidings (news) etc.

Use:

Where is my trouser? (Incorrect)

Where are my trousers? (correct) 

Here is your shoes. (Incorrect)

Here are your shoes. (correct)

Don’t refuse to give some alm to the beggar. (Incorrect)

Don’t refuse to give some alms to the beggar. (correct)

Save your earning for future. (Incorrect)

Save your earnings for future. (correct)

Read more: List of important words and their singular and plural numbers.

 II.    Plural in Form, Singular in Meaning:

Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning, actually they are singular, and takes a singular verb.

E.g. –

Subjects – Mathematics, Physics, Genetics, Environmental Studies, Economics, Politics, Ethics, Linguistics etc.

Games – dominoes, darts, draughts, billiards, tennis etc.

Diseases – rickets, rabies, shingles, measles, mumps, diabetes etc.

Books – Arabian Nights, Gulliver’s Travels.

Use: 

Statistics are his favourite subject. (Incorrect) 

Statistics is his favourite subject. (correct) 

The Arabian Nights are very popular among the children. (Incorrect)

The Arabian Nights is very popular among the children. (correct)

Gulliver’s Travels are a book of adventure. (Incorrect)

Gulliver’s Travels is a book of adventure. (correct)

Virat scored a century in the first inning. (Incorrect)

 Virat scored a century in the first innings. (correct)

 

 III.     Singular in Form, Plural in Meaning: 

Certain nouns are singular in form but plural in meaning, and they are plural,  hence they take plural verb.

E.g. –

Cattle, cavalry, infantry, peasantry, folk, people, police, poultry, vermin, excreta, admiralty, nobility, tenantry, insignia, etc.

So, neither use a or an before them, nor make them plural by adding -s/-es.

A poultry / A cattle / An infantry / Poultries / Cattles / Infantries - All are wrong.

Use:

• The cattle is grazing. (Incorrect) 
• The cattle are grazing. (correct) 

• Poultry lays eggs. (Incorrect)
• Poultry lay eggs. (correct) 

• Folk around here doesn't smoke. (Incorrect)
• Folk around here don't smoke. (correct)