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. The exceptions to the rule include the pronouns "few," "many," "several," and "both." These always take the plural form.
Most indefinite pronouns are treated as singular subjects. However, some are always treated as plural, as they refer to multiple items or amounts. Sometimes two or more subjects are linked to one verb. To decide whether to use a singular or plural verb, consider how the subjects are linked. A collective noun refers to a group of people or things as a singular whole (e.g. population, team, committee, staff). The form of verb depends on the style of English you are using.US Englishtends to use a singular verb, while UK English tends to use a plural verb.
This also applies to the names of companies and organizations. Then the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb. 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 a hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory thought.
The subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent. A singular subject takes a singular verb , whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Subject Verb Agreement In English Grammar With Examples Abbreviations and acronyms usually take a singular verb. If you're unsure, check if the full version of the acronym or abbreviation is a singular, plural or collective noun, and refer to the rules above. It's most important to use one form of agreement consistently. When singular subjects are linked with or, either…or, nor, neither…nor, use a singular verb. 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. When these nouns become the subjects, they always take singular verbs. Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb. The phrase as well as is not the same as the conjunction and. In contrast, phrases like as well as, in addition to, or along with are not linked to the verb.
If the subject is singular, the verb should stay singular. Often the verb does not directly follow the subject, which can lead to agreement mistakes. Make sure to match the verb with the correct subject, especially in long sentences with phrases or clauses in between subject and verb. If the compound subject contains both singular and plural nouns, the verb takes the form of the closest subject. You can also download our shorter top 10 rules infographic and keep it handy.
To see more sentences showing the correct subject and verb agreement, check out examples of subject-verb agreement. In order to master Sentence Correction questions, you are required to be aware of the basic rules of Subject-verb Agreement. In this article, you will learn about the concept of subject verb agreement.
Some teachers, editors, and the SAT testing service, perhaps for convenience, have considered none to be strictly singular. However, authorities agree that none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb. 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. Modifiers between the subject and verb do not affect whether the verb is singular or plural. "Neither" and "either" require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring to two separate things. "Anyone," "everyone," "someone," "no one," and "nobody" always require singular verbs.
If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb form. You might think that subject-verb agreement would be pretty simple. However, it can get quite tricky depending on the complexity of the sentence. Learn the subject-verb agreement rules through several examples.
Use a colorful printable to help them stick in your mind. 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.
Always remember that, when either and neither are used as pronouns, they are treated as singular and always take the singular verb. Collective nouns are usually regarded as singular subjects. The number of the subject can be singular and plural. The verb must be singular if the subject is singular and the verb must be plural if the subject is plural. A subject made up of nouns joined by and takes a plural subject, unless that subject's intended sense is singular.
If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. It can be hard to work out whether to treat collective and uncountable nouns as singular or plural. When subjects are linked with and, use a plural verb. 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.
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. 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. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the same person or thing as a whole. It might seem like subject-verb agreement has many rules, but you'll quickly notice that one ties into the next.
To help clarify the examples of each rule, the subjects are in bold and verbs are in italics. If you are interested in subject-verb agreement, you've come to the right place. However, before diving headfirst into the rules, it's good to have a little explanation. The subject and verb within a sentence need to agree with each other in number in order for a sentence to make sense. Let's explore a series of subject-verb agreement rules required to ace questions based on Sentence Correction. 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. When it is used with a prepositional phrase starting with of, the subject can be both plural and singular. Nouns connected by the conjunction and in the subject work as the plural subject and take 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. Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.
With money, if the amount is specific, use a singular verb; if the amount is vague, use a plural verb. Sometimes the subject follows the verb, especially when the sentence begins with there or here. In this case,there is not the subject – the true subject should be identified and matched with the correct verb form. First, identify the subject and the verb in a sentence. If the subject is singular, the verb describing its action should be singular.
If the subject is plural, the verb should be plural. From the perspective of modern linguistics, the problem with grammar rules is that many of the rules aren't absolute. There are a wealth of exceptions to rules, as we can see here. It can prove helpful to bookmark condensed lists of rules like this. Truthfully, the best way to keep your grammar on point is to read, read and then read some more! In the meantime, have fun with these five tips to improve your grammar further.
The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement or time. When the prepositional phrases separate the subjects from the verbs, they have no effect on the verbs. 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. 4.With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
Collecting noun phrases (a bunch of, a group of, a set of, etc.) take a singular verb. Some think it is incorrect to place a personal pronoun first in a multi-subject sentence. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
Terms that describe a proportion of something are usually followed by "of" . First look at the noun you are describing to determine if it's singular or plural, then match it to the verb. 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. In this example, politics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb. In this example, the singular verb is agrees with the nearer subject director.
In the above example, the plural verb are agrees with the nearer subject actors. Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit. In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.
A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes. Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of subject-verb agreement.
If the subject of the sentence is a number referring to a unified quantity of something, use a singular verb. The subject of a sentence should always match the verb describing its action. This helps your reader understand who or what is doing something and makes your writing easier to read. When a sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and only one is plural, the verb should agree with the positive subject. Titles of books, movies, novels, and other similar works are treated as singular and take a singular verb. 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. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept. In this case, the subject of the sentence is 'dogs' and the verb used is plural in nature, 'are playing'. The words prior to these expressions are the subjects. In this example, politics refers to the many aspects of the situation; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb. In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the verb is plural.
In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the verb is singular. Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb. When a subject is made up of nouns joined by or, the verb agrees with the last noun. Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the plural they to staff in the same sentence. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.
When usingnumbers, percentages or proportions, the correct form of verb agreement depends on exactly what you're referring to. It's helpful to look beyond the numbers and find the true subject. "Who," "that," and "which" can be singular or plural, according to the noun directly in front of them. If the word "each," "every" or "no" comes before the subject, the verb is singular. 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. In this case, the subject of the sentence is 'dog' and the verb used is singular in nature, 'is playing'. The sentences beginning with here/there are different in structure. 'Be' verbs according to number and person of the subject.
