Subject Verb Agreement
Subject Verb Agreement
Subject Verb Agreement
Subject verb agreement – ever heard of the term? Well, here is a chance to learn what subject
verb agreement means, what the term ‘concord’ refers to and the rules to help you understand
how it works. Also check out the subject verb agreement examples given and try out the
exercises on subject verb agreement to have a clear idea of what it is and how it has to be
used to frame perfect sentences.
Table of Contents
What Is Subject-Verb Agreement? – Meaning and Definition
Rules of Subject-Verb Agreement with Examples
Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement
Check Your Understanding of Subject-Verb Agreement
Frequently Asked Questions on Subject-Verb Agreement in English
The general rule of subject-verb agreement according to Garner’s Modern English Usage is
“to use a plural verb with a plural subject, a singular verb with a singular subject. This rule
holds true for most cases. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Check out the next
section to learn how verbs have to be conjugated in order to agree with the subject.
Rule 1
The first rule is what we have already discussed – the use of a singular verb with a singular
subject and a plural verb with a plural subject. The subject can be a noun, a pronoun or even a
noun phrase. If it is a pronoun, the subject-verb agreement is done with reference to
the person of the pronoun.
For example:
Rachel spends her free time listening to music. (Singular subject with singular verb)
Blaine and Kurt play the piano. (Plural subject with plural verb)
She likes to have a dessert after every meal. (Third person singular pronoun with
singular subject)
Rule 2
When using the ‘be’ form of verbs, there is an exception. In this case, the verb is used
according to the number and person of the subject. Check out the following table to see how
it works with different pronouns.
It is It is amazing.
Furthermore, when used with other nouns and noun phrases, the rule applies. The same works
even with simple past, present continuous and past continuous tenses when the ‘be’ form of
verbs are used as the principal verb/helping verb. Check out the following examples to
understand.
Santana is a singer.
The girls are waiting for you.
We were happy with the review of our first movie.
Michael Jackson’s songs are still enjoyed by millions.
I was reading the latest book by Rudyard Kipling.
Rule 3
The use of ‘have’ and ‘has’ in the present perfect tense, the present perfect continuous
tense and as a main verb is also dependent on the subject. All singular subjects use ‘has’ and
all plural subjects use ‘have’.
For example:
Rule 4
Compound subjects combined using the conjunction ‘and’ take a plural verb.
For example:
Rule 5
When more than one noun is joined by the conjunction ‘or’, the subject is considered to be
singular and a singular verb is used.
For example:
Rule 6
Sentences with pronouns such as anybody, anyone, no one, somebody, someone, everybody,
everyone, nothing and nobody are treated as singular subjects and will therefore use a
singular verb.
For example:
Rule 7
For sentences using ‘either..or’ and ‘neither..nor’, the verb should agree with the noun or
pronoun that comes just before it.
For example:
Rule 8
When sentences have subjects like police, news, scissors, mathematics, etc. (nouns that are
plural by default), the verb used should be plural.
For example:
Rule 9
When a negative sentence is written, the ‘do’ verb is used and it has to match the subject.
For example:
Rule 10
Interrogative sentences also take the help of the ‘do’ verb. As far as the subject-verb
agreement of interrogative sentences is concerned, the first verb (‘be’ verb or ‘do’ verb) has
to be aligned with the subject of the sentence.
For example:
Rule 11
When you have sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘those’, ‘these’, etc.,
always remember that the subject follows the verb and therefore the verb has to be
conjugated with reference to the subject.
For example:
Rule 12
Abstract nouns and uncountable nouns are considered as singular subjects, so make sure you
use a singular verb along with it.
For example:
Rule 13
When the subject refers to a period of time, distance or a sum of money, use a singular verb.
For example:
Rule 14
The next rule is based on the use of collective nouns as subjects. Remember that when you
have a collective noun as the subject of the sentence, the verb can be singular or plural based
on the sentence and the context.
For example:
Rule 15
In sentences that have adjectives such as ‘all’, ‘a lot of’, ‘lots of’ or ‘some’ are used along
with nouns to form a phrase that acts as the subject of the sentence, the verb is used according
to the noun just before it.
For example:
Rule 16
When a sentence begins with ‘each’ or ‘every’ as the subject, it is considered singular and so
the verb has to be singular too.
For example:
Rule 17
When you are using a sentence to express a wish or a sentence expressing a request, verbs are
used a little differently from other sentences.
For example:
2. The seven children from Chennai has been selected for the final round of the quiz.