Subject-Verb Agreement
Making subjects and verbs match in number: singular subjects take singular verbs
When to Use Subject-Verb Agreement
- •Singular subject + singular verb: She works. The dog barks.
- •Plural subject + plural verb: They work. The dogs bark.
- •Compound subjects with 'and' take plural: Tom and Jerry are friends.
- •Either/or, neither/nor: verb agrees with nearest subject.
- •Collective nouns: singular in US (The team is), can be plural in UK (The team are).
How to Form Subject-Verb Agreement
Affirmative (+)
Singular: add -s/-es to verb. Plural: base form of verb
Negative (-)
Singular: doesn't + base. Plural: don't + base
Question (?)
Singular: Does + subject + base? Plural: Do + subject + base?
💡 I/you always take plural verb form (I work, you work). He/she/it takes singular (works).
Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement
✓The list of items is on the desk.
✗The list of items are on the desk.
Subject is 'list' (singular), not 'items'.
✓Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.
✗Neither the teacher nor the students was ready.
Verb agrees with nearest subject (students = plural).
✓Everyone has arrived.
✗Everyone have arrived.
Everyone/someone/anyone is singular.
Common Mistakes with Subject-Verb Agreement
💡 Practice Tips for Subject-Verb Agreement
- • Find the true subject (ignore prepositional phrases).
- • Everyone/someone/anyone/each = singular.
- • News/mathematics/physics = singular.
- • Either/or, neither/nor = verb matches nearest subject.
Quick Quiz
Grammar sorted. Now grow your vocabulary.