subject verb agreement

Subject verb agreement

The change of a verb with the change of subjects, its number, person, and tense is called subject verb agreement. A verb must agree with the subjects. It is very important to write something correctly.
The rules of subject verb agreement are given bellow.

1. Be verb agreement

Person       Number          subject                Present.                            Past
1st person   Singular                 I                        Am                            Was
plural                                 We                          are                               Were

2nd person Singular/plural  You                       are                              Were

3rd person Singular         He, she, it, Smith,     Is                                  Was
plural                                   They                    are                               Were


Have verb agreement
Person           Number              Subject             Present                 Past
1st person   Singular                    I                 Have.                  Had
plural                                          We                 Have                 Had

2nd person   Singular/plural.     You.           Have                 Had

3rd person   Singular         He, she, it, dog       Has                 Had
plural                                  They, boys          have                 Had
                                            Ram and John

2. The + adjective when works as a common noun and denotes a class, the verb is plural.
Example:
The rich are always happy.    Only the brave deserve the fair. The poor suffer a lot their life.

3. When two or more singular nouns followed by ‘each’, ‘every’, or ‘each of’, or ‘no’ the verb is singular.
Example: Each boy and each girl has scored good marks. Every man and every woman is simple. Each of the students is very good in English. No bus, no train, no auto is available today due to strike.

4. Plural form when denotes a singular number or amount or length, or distance, as a single unit, verb is singular.
Example:  Five miles is a long distance. Ten thousand dollars is a big amount. Hundred cents makes one dollar. Sixteen annas is equal to one rupee. Three hours is enough to complete the examination.

But twice two is/are four. Five times five is/ are twenty five.  (Both singular and plural form of verb can be used).


5. Some nouns end in‘s’ and seem to be plural in number but singular in sense, then the verb is singular.
Example:  News, physics, politics, mathematics, the United States of America, Forget me nots, dramatics, economics, statistics, mumps, measles, rickets, darts, cards, aerobics, alms, analytics, bellows, billiards, civics, classics, comics, tactics, summons, Wales, optics, news, phonetics, mechanics, metaphysics, molasses, aesthetics, acoustics,, poetics, innings, linguistics, means(way, wealth) take a singular verb after them. Physics is my favorite subject. The United States is a rich country.
In some special cases politics, alms, means, headquarters can also be plural.

6. Collective noun takes a singular verb when the things or persons are meant collectively. But collective nouns take plural verb when the persons or things are meant separately.
Example: A cricket team consists of eleven players. A gang of robbers was caught red handed. A series of events has happened in his life. The committee has agreed to my proposal. The jury is on the same opinion about the case.
The jury are on different opinion about the case. (Here the jury is meant separately).



7. Two singular nouns if joined by ‘or’ the verb is singular.
Ram or Sam has broken the glass.  Mr. Khan or Mrs. Khan is coming to our house.
If the noun is plural, verb is plural. Verb is placed after the plural noun.

8. ‘Either …or’, ‘neither …nor’ when joins two singular nouns verb is singular.
If they join two different persons, verb follows the nearest one.
If they join one singular and one plural noun, verb follows the nearest subject.
Example: neither tea nor coffee is preferable to me.
Neither Sachin nor Sourav has played well today.
Either Jyoti or Mina is at the door.
Neither Ram nor his friends are honest.
Neither you nor I am guilty.
Either he or you are to blame for breaking the relation. Neither the student nor the teachers have come to school.

9. If Infinitive (to + verb present) or Gerund (verb + ing) or a clause, or a phrase, or a verbal noun works as the subject in a sentence, verb is singular.
To walk/ walking is good for health.  (To walk/ walking works as an infinitive and a gerund).
To err is human. The dancing of Michel Jackson surprises all.  (Verbal noun)
That the earth moves round the sun is an established fact today. When they will come is not certain.

10. Verb in a complex sentence always follows its antecedent. But if there are two antecedents of different person, the verb follows the nearer one.
Example: I know the boy who is your friend. (The boy is the antecedent of who)
I who am your friend can not allow you to take the risk. (‘I’ is the antecedent of who)
You are the boy who helps me in time of need. (‘You’ and ‘boy’ are two antecedents. But the verb follows the nearer antecedent boy).
I am the man who has never done such a silly mistake.

11. Two or more singular or plural noun if joined by ‘as well as’, ‘with’, ‘together with’. ‘In addition to’, ‘along with’, ‘except’, ‘besides’, and not’, and ‘no less than’, verb follows the first one.
Example: He as well as all his friends is present here.
Jenipher along with her parents has come to the fair.
The principal in addition to all the teachers is ready to take care of the students. He, and not you, has done this. My brother, and no less than my brother’s friends, is doing well.

12. ‘One of the’ + plural noun or pronoun, the verb is in singular form.
Example: One of the boys is very interested in music.
One of them has not yet paid the due amount.
‘More than one’ agrees with a singular verb and singular noun.
More than one girl was injured in the accident. More than one apple is rotten. But more than two agrees with plural verb and noun.
‘One and a half’ agrees with a plural noun but the verb is used in singular form.
                 One and a half hours is enough. One and a half cakes was eaten by the baby.

13. Repetition of article is must when two different things are spoken of and the verb is plural. But if article is not repeated it qualifies one singular noun and the verb is singular.
Example: A tall and beautiful girl is standing at the gate. (One girl) A tall and a beautiful girl are standing at the gate.  The principal and English teacher has come. The principal and the English teacher have come.

14. The position of noun and pronoun of different person follows the rule of second person+ third person+ first person.
Example: you, he and I have done equally well in the examination. He and I are friends. You and he are friends. You and I did our job.
But in case of confessing guilty the rule is different. Then it follows the rule of first person+ third person and second person.

15. When ‘Not only…. But also’ joins subjects the verb follows the nearest subject.
Example: Not only father but also my brothers are helping me in my studies.
Not only my brothers but also my father is helping me in my studies.

16. Half/heaps/lots/two-thirds/three-fourths/ most+ of +singular noun= verb singular. Half/heaps/lots/two-thirds/three-fourths/ most+ of +plural noun= verb plural.
Example: Half of the mango is rotten. Half of the mangoes are rotten.
Two-thirds of the book is finished. Two thirds of the students are good.
There is heaps of dust on the table. There are heaps of books on the table.

17. Confusion in the use of ‘Number’.
A number of + plural verb.
A number of people were present in the meeting.
The number of + singular verb.
The number of people present in the meeting is satisfied.

18. What + singular verb+ singular noun.
Example: what is your name? What is the condition of the patient? What seems to you the greatest idea?
What + plural verb+ plural noun.
What are the advantages of nets? What are the reasons of global warming?
(Name + is) (Advantages + are)

19. There + singular verb + singular noun.
There is a church in the village. There was a man standing alone.
There + plural verb + plural noun.
There are many aspects of knowledge. There were ten projects in my hands.

20. Some nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take a plural verb
Compasses, scissors, tongs, goggles, jeans, bellows, pincers, forceps, braces, breeches, pantaloons, pyjamas, shorts, trousers, knickers,

21. When the subject is the title of a book, clause, quotation, or group of words expressing a single idea, the verb is singular after them.
Example: Hard Times  has been written by Dickens. Tales from Shakespeare is very interesting. Gulliver’s Travels is an adventurous novel.
Arabian nights is my favorite story book.


22. Two singular nouns joined by 'and' take a plural verb.
Ram and Miton are friends. Ram and Milton go to school together.