Subject Verb Agreement

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT
The subject must agree with its verb.

Singular subjects need singural verbs; plural subject need
plural verbs.
But how will you determine that the word is singular or
plural?
answer. number. Number determines whether the word is
singular or plural.
NOTE
Rules in Subject verb agreement
Once in a form of
Singular verb has group, it is considered
(S) while plural singular. Example: The
verb has no S. Beatles, Pack of
wolves, School of fish.
Subject Verb
Agreement
1. When a word refers to one person, place, things or idea, the word is singular
in number. When a word refers to more than one, the words is plural in
number.
Singular: Leaf
Plural: Leaves
Singular: He
Plural: They
Singular: Roof
Plural: Roofs
EXAMPLES
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
1. My (brother, brothers) is a nutritionist.

2. (They, He) live in an apartment.
3. Our (roof, roofs) protects us from rain.
4. Please hand me those (key, keys).
5. Your (nanny, nannies) takes good care of you.
Subject Verb
Agreement
2. A verb should agree in number with its subject.

Singular subjects take singular verbs. Plural subjects
takes plural verbs.
EXAMPLES
1. The sun sines above.
(The singular verb shines agrees with the singular subject sun.)
2. Kate goes to Batangas today.
(The singular verb run agrees with the singular subject Kate.)
3. Sports cars run fast.
(The plural verb run agrees with the plural subject cars.)
Subject Verb
Agreement
When a sentence contains a verb phrase, the first

helping verb/auxiliary verb in the verb phrase
agrees with the subject.
EXAMPLES
1. The machine is running.
2. The event has been telecast.
3. Is anyone calling my name?
4. The machines are running.
5. The evnts have been telecast.
6. Are the vendors callimg my name?
Subject Verb
Agreement
3. The number of subject is not changed by a phase

following the subject.
EXAMPLES
1. The hero of that folk tale is Lam-ang.
(The verb is agrees with the subject hero, not with tale.
2. The reigning Mutya, along with the runners up, has entered the
stage for their final work.
(The verb has entered agrees with the subject Mutya, not with
runners up.)
3. Media Practioners from all over the country have convened in
Manila.
(The verb have convened agrees with the subject President, not with
adviser.)
Subject Verb
Agreement
4. A pronoun that does not refer to a definite person,

place, thing, or idea is called an Indefinite pronoun.
EXAMPLES
All are here.
Some have left.
Hence, you should look at the context -sentences before and after
the pronoun - to see if the pronoun refers to asingular or plural word.
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
5. The following indefinite pronouns are singular:

anyone, anybody, anything, each, either, everyone,
everybody, everything, neither, no one, nobody,
nothing, one, someone, somebody, and something.
EXAMPLES
.m
(Verb) In singular form.
rof ra
ulg
nis
n
1. Everyone has done his or her homebork.

I )tc
ej
2. Somebody has left her purse.

bus(
3. Neither of these durians is ripe.

4. Does anybody here speaks English?
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
6. The following indefinite pronouns are plural: both,

few, many, several.
EXAMPLES
(Subject) In plural form. (Verb) In plural form.
orm .
ral f
In plu
1. Subject) Few of my cousins are in Cebu. In plural form. (Without 'S')
(
2. Many of them keep horses as pets.
3. Both of them show their confidence.
4. Several of these test questionnaires were wasted during
examination.
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
7. The indefinite pronouns: all, any, more, most, none,

or some, may either be singular or plural, depending
on their meaning in a senttence.
EXAMPLES
1. All of the milk was spilled.
(All is singular because it refers to the singular word milk. The verb
was is singular to agree with the subject All.)
2. All of the milks cans were spoiled.

(All is plural because it refers to the plural word cans. The verb
were is plural to agree with the subject.)
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
8. Subject joined by and usually take a plural verb.
Example:
1. Our dog and cat take baths with us in the mini pool.
2. Dr. Ochoa and her son have gone to haiti for a
medical mission.
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
But a compound subject that names only one person or

thing takes a singular verrb.
Example:
1. The famous writer and director is going to speak at
our film class. (One person is meant)
2. Macaroni and cheese is my favorite.
(One dish is meant)
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
9. Singural subject joined by (or) or (nor) usually take a
singular verb.
Example:
1. The chief engineer or his assistnant is due to arrive tonight.
(Either one is due, not both)
2. Neither a rat nor a raccoon does that kind of damage.

(Neither one does the damage.)
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
But plural subject joined by (or) or (nor) take a plural verb.
Example:
1. Either mice or lizard are living in our attic.

2. Neither the senators nor the representatives want the bill
to be voted.
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
10. When sigular subject and plural subject are joined by or or
nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb.
Example:
1. A brooch or chocolate usually make an appropriate present.

(The verb agrees with the nearer subject, chocolate.)
2. Chocolate or a brooch usually makes an appropriate
present.
(The verb agrees with the nearer subject, brooch.)
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
11. A collective noun may be either a singular or plural,

depending on its meaning in sentence.
A collective noun takes a singular verb when the noun refers to

the group as a unit. A collective noun takes plural verb when the
noun refers to the individual parts or members of the group.
EXAMPLE
Example:
1. The committee has decided to have a news competition in
December.
(The committee as a unit has decided.)
2. The committee were divided in their opinions on the type of

news to be used for the competition.
(The members of the committee were divided in their opinions.)

SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
A collective nun is singular in form but names of a group of
persons, animals, or things.
Example:
People: Audience, Committee, Crew, Faculty, Jury
Animals: School, Flock, Herd, Pack
Things: Batch, Bundl, Cluster, Fleet, Set

SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
12. When the subjecct follows the verb, find the subject and
make sure that the verb agrees with it.
Example:
1. Where was the guinea pig?
2. Where were the guinea pigs?
3. Does Joan knows the Castrol?
4. Do the Castros know Joan?
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
13. Some nouns that are plural in form take singular verbs.
Example:
Mathematics is a branch of science.
The news from the front is bad.
Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
14. An expression of an amount (a measurement, a percentage,
or a fraction) may be singular or plural, depending on how it is
used.
Example:
1. Sixteen person is paid for the clear book.
2. Is three weeks long enough for the education tour?
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
But when the amount is thought of as individual pieces or parts,
then a plural verb is used.
Example:
Twenty of the person were lent.
Five of the hours were spent at the auction.
A fraction or percentage is singular when it refers to sigular

word and plural when it refers to a plural word.
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
Example:
1. One half of the cake is eaten.
2. Fifty percent of the respondents are transferees.
Expression of measurement (such as lenght, weight, and area) are

usually sngular.
Five feet and four inches is the height required for applicants.
Twenty-five kilograms is the maximum weight for hand-carry
baggage/material.
SUBJECT VERB
AGREEMENT
15. Even when plural in form, the title of a creative work (such as a
book, song, film, or painting), the name of an organization, or the
name of a country or city generally takes a singular verb.
Example:
1. Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories rich with insights

and life lessons.
2. Philippines is an archipelagic country with 7,101 islasnd.

Subject Verb Agreement

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SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

The subject must agree with its verb.

1. My (brother, brothers) is a nutritionist.

2. A verb should agree in number with its subject.

When a sentence contains a verb phrase, the first

3. The number of subject is not changed by a phase

4. A pronoun that does not refer to a definite person,

5. The following indefinite pronouns are singular:

1. Everyone has done his or her homebork.

2. Somebody has left her purse.

3. Neither of these durians is ripe.

6. The following indefinite pronouns are plural: both,

7. The indefinite pronouns: all, any, more, most, none,

2. All of the milks cans were spoiled.

8. Subject joined by and usually take a plural verb.

But a compound subject that names only one person or

2. Neither a rat nor a raccoon does that kind of damage.

But plural subject joined by (or) or (nor) take a plural verb.

1. Either mice or lizard are living in our attic.

1. A brooch or chocolate usually make an appropriate present.

11. A collective noun may be either a singular or plural,

A collective noun takes a singular verb when the noun refers to

2. The committee were divided in their opinions on the type of

(The members of the committee were divided in their opinions.)

Animals: School, Flock, Herd, Pack

Things: Batch, Bundl, Cluster, Fleet, Set

A fraction or percentage is singular when it refers to sigular

Expression of measurement (such as lenght, weight, and area) are

1. Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories rich with insights

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