SUBECT-VERB-AGREEMENT

Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular

verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural
verb.

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.

If you know that list is the subject, then you will
choose is for the verb.

Exceptions to the Basic rule:

a. The first person pronoun I takes a plural verb (I go, I
drive).
b. The basic form of the verb is used after certain main
verbs such as watch, see, hear, feel, help, let, and make.
(He watched Ronaldo score the winning goal).

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of.

This is a key rule for understanding subjects. The word of is
the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the

all-too-common mistake in the following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and

fragrance to the room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet

lends, not roses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or,

either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
 Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage
decorations.

Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence

agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one
of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the

festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but

awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.
OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more
subjects when they are connected by and.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of

transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
 The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and

breakfast are compound nouns.

NOTE: Some think it is incorrect to place a personal pronoun

first in a multi-subject sentence.

Examples:
I, my dad, and my step-mom are going to the movies.
She and Orville bought a dog.

While not grammatically incorrect per se, it is a courtesy to

place the pronoun last, except when awkward to do so as
shown under Rule 3 above.

Rule 5a. 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.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is
expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her
shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true

subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE: The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad

habits in informal sentences like There's a lot of people here
today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are."
Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time,

sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8a. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a

majority, some, all—Rule 1 given earlier in this section is
reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun
after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a
plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
 A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE: 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.

Rule 8b. With collective nouns such

as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be
singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was not in favor OR were not in
favor of the bill.

NOTE: Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun

must take care to be accurate—and also consistent. It must not
be done carelessly. The following is the sort of flawed
sentence one sees and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.

Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the
singular is and the plural they to staff in the same
sentence.
 Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible.

The preceding sentence would read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

Rule 9. The word were replaces was in sentences that express

a wish or are contrary to fact:

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

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.

Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.
The foreman demanded that Joe wear safety goggles.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being

expressed; therefore, were, which we usually think of as a
plural verb, is used with the singular it. (Technically, it is the
singular subject of the object clause in the subjunctive mood: it
were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the

second example, where a request is being expressed, the
subjunctive mood is correct.
Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken
English but should still be used in formal speech and writing.

PREPOSITION
Rule 1. A preposition generally, but not always, goes before its
noun or pronoun. One of the undying myths of English
grammar is that you may not end a sentence with a
preposition. But look at the first example that follows. No one
should feel compelled to say, or even write, That is something
with which I cannot agree. Just do not use extra prepositions
when the meaning is clear without them.

Correct: That is something I cannot agree with.

Correct: Where did you get this?

Incorrect: Where did you get this at?

Correct: How many of you can I depend on?

Correct: Where did he go?

Incorrect: Where did he go to?

Rule 2a. The preposition like means "similar to" or "similarly

to." It should be followed by an object of the preposition (noun,
pronoun, noun phrase), not by a subject and verb. Rule of
thumb: Avoid like when a verb is involved.

Correct:
You look like your mother.
That is, you look similar to her. (Mother is the object of the
preposition like.)
Incorrect:
You look like your mother does.
(Avoid like with noun + verb.)

Rule 2b. Instead of like, use as, as if, as though, or the

way when following a comparison with a subject and verb.

Correct: You look the way your mother does.

Incorrect: Do like I ask. (No one would say Do similarly to I

ask.)

Correct: Do as I ask.

Incorrect: You look like you're angry.

Correct: You look as if you're angry. (OR as though)

Some speakers and writers, to avoid embarrassment,

use as when they mean like. The following incorrect sentence
came from a grammar guide:

Incorrect: They are considered as any other English words.

Correct: They are considered as any other English words

would be.

Correct: They are considered to be like any other English

words.

Remember: like means "similar to" or "similarly to"; as means

"in the same manner that." Rule of thumb: Do not
use as unless there is a verb involved.
Incorrect: I, as most people, try to use good grammar.

Correct: I, like most people, try to use good grammar.

Correct: I, as most people do, try to use good grammar.

Rule 3. The preposition of should never be used in place of the

helping verb have.

Correct: I should have done it.

Incorrect: I should of done it.

See also COUPLE OF; OFF OF; OUT OF; OUTSIDE OF.

Rule 4. It is a good practice to follow different with the

preposition from. Most traditionalists avoid different than.
Although it is an overstatement to call different than incorrect, it
remains polarizing: A is different than B comes across as
sloppy to a lot of literate readers. If you can replace different
than with different from without having to rewrite the rest of the
sentence, why not do so?

Polarizing: You're different than I am.

Unchallengeable: You're different from me.

See also DIFFERENT FROM, DIFFERENT THAN.

Rule 5. Use into rather than in to express motion toward

something. Use in to tell the location.

Correct: I swam in the pool.

Correct: I walked into the house.

Correct: I looked into the matter.

Incorrect: I dived in the water.

Correct: I dived into the water.

Incorrect: Throw it in the trash.

Correct: Throw it into the trash.

Into and "in to" are different. Into indicates movement, action

or transformation. "In to" is usually used to mean "in order to".
When in and to are used as separate words, they are not a
combined phrase.

Into vs "in to" examples

The ugly duckling transformed into a swan.

I am going into the bar to have a few drinks - ale and lager.

I am going in to have a few drinks - whiskey and bourbon.

(Note that "going in to" refers to "going in, in order to")

The team brought the trophy in to the cheers of their

supporters. In this example in and to are not connected as a
combined phrase.

We decided to dine in to avoid the cold outside on the patio.

Tune in to our next radio broadcast same time next

week. Once again we see that when used
separately, in and to convey separate, individual meanings
where to is a preposition and in could be a preposition or an
adverb.

In vs Into
The decision to use in or into can also get confusing. All
three of these sentences seem correct:

He went into the car.

He went in the car.

He went to the car.

In general, use into when movement, action or a

transformation of state occur. In indicates location or state
that is generally more static and not transitional. For
example, She liked sitting in her grandfather's chair. is
correct. She liked sitting into her grandfather's chair. is
incorrect.

On vs Onto vs On to

On is used to indicate location or position on a surface.

Onto indicates the movement of something from a particular

position or location to another.

On to, as two words, are used when on is a part of a phrasal

verb.

On

On is used to indicate location or position on a surface.

I have left the file on your desk.

Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight to land humans on the

Moon.
Onto

Onto indicates the movement of something from a particular

position or location to another. The object was not present at
the location initially but has now moved there.

They climbed onto the roof to gaze at the starry sky.

Why don’t we step onto the dance floor?

On to

On to, as two words, are used when on is a part of a phrasal

verb. Phrasal verbs, are a group of two or three words that
form a semantic unit which functions as a verb. When used as
a part of a phrasal verb, on does not indicate a location.

Please log on to your computers.

You must hold on to your dream, no matter how challenging it

gets.

1. When you want to tell the location or position of an

object, use on.
2. The ‘to’ present in onto can be remembered as
‘towards’. So, when you are talking about the movement
of an object to/towards a particular location, use onto.
3. If on is a part of a phrasal verb, use on to.

 Unto – As a preposition, it can be used to indicate

direction or destination, as in “He walked unto the door.”
As a conjunction, it can be used to mean a specific
scenario, time or event that happens.
 Onto – As a preposition, “onto” indicates movement or
placement, as in “he jumped onto the table.” As an
adjective, “onto” means “being on or in contact with
something,” as in “the paint is still wet, so be careful not
to sit onto it.”

Unto is often used to express a motion.

 For example, “He went unto the city.” This means he

 went up to the city, or he moved towards the city.
 Another example is “I will count unto three.” This means I
will count up to three.
Unto can also express movement up to a degree or time.

 “In marriage, two people swear loyalty unto death due

them part.”
 “My mom drove unto the grocery store.”

“Onto” is a word that expresses or implies movement to a

particular position or place.

 For example, you might say “I jumped onto the bed.” In

this sentence, “onto” expresses the movement from the
floor to the bed.
You can also use “onto” when you’re talking about putting
something on top of something else. This reminds me of the
spelling & grammar rules for deciding between nonetheless or
nevertheless in your writing.

 “I put my book onto the table.” In this sentence, “onto”

express the movement of the book from my hand to the
table.
This rule also highlights one of the many differences between
British and American English grammar rules.

Using Unto In A Sentence

1. In olden days, knights would swear their loyalty unto their

king.
2. He will do unto others as they did to him in the past.
3. Our uncle ran unto the library.
4. I swear loyalty unto the flag of the United States of
America.
5. Unto dust you shall return.

Just like we saw in our post about how do you spell excellent,

writers make mistakes. And that’s ok! Always proofread and
review your writing before publishing.
Using Onto In A Sentence

1. I’m not getting onto that bus.

2. The cat jumped onto the roof and promptly fell off.
3. I don’t know how she got onto the team with those skills.
4. He spilled his drink all over me! Get onto cleaning this
mess up!
5. I couldn’t help but spill my coffee onto my new shirt.

There are four types of phrasal verbs, divided into two pairs:
transitive and intransitive; separable and inseparable. A
phrasal verb can belong to only one of each pair, but keep in
mind that all separable phrasal verbs are transitive.

Simple past tense:  I had the flu last week but got over it.

Infinitive: He wrote a song to get over his grandmother’s

death.

Gerund: Getting over prejudice at work is never easy.

Particle:  Having finally gotten over the breakup, they were

ready to return their partner’s things.

Incorrect: The beginning of the movie Up gets down everyone.

Correct: The beginning of the movie Up gets everyone down.

Correct: Pick the box up and carry it to the kitchen.

Correct: Pick up the box and carry it to the kitchen

Incorrect: Pick up it and carry it to the kitchen.

Correct: Pick it up and carry it to the kitchen.

Incorrect: Nothing comes us between.

Correct: Nothing comes between us.

back up support or defend someone

When the class was making fun of me, only the teacher backed me up.

break down stop working, especially when referring to machines

The ice cream machine at McDonald’s is always breaking down.

call around contact multiple people

Roy called around to find a nearby mechanic.

calm down relax after an energetic or irritated state

I need a few minutes to calm down after that match.

call off cancel

We called the party off. / We called off the party.

check out verify a person or thing (can sometimes be flirtatious when used
in reference to a person)

I’ll check the contract out. / I’ll check out the contract.

clean up be extremely successful in an endeavor, such as business,

sports, or gambling

Our hockey team cleaned up at the tournament and went home undefeated.

stop questionable behavior, such as consuming drugs or alcohol

Her boss said she had to either clean up or find a new job.

clean up clean a general area

John cleaned the living room up. / John cleaned up the living room.

cheer up make someone happy, especially if they were previously sad

Reading always cheers me up on a rainy day.

come around change an opinion or see a new point of view

I never liked seafood, but came around after trying fried calamari.

come between disturb a relationship

After more than fifty years of marriage, nothing could come between them.

come down on attack or punish harshly

Ever since last month’s accident, police have been coming down on drunk
driving.

come down with become sick

After sitting in the rain for hours, Chandra came down with a nasty cold.

come out of happen as a consequence of another event

We missed a day of school, so at least some good came out of our boring
class trip.

come up become the topic of discussion or receive attention

Everyone talked about how much they enjoyed the movie, but the run time
never came up in the conversation.

approach or come near

While walking outside the fence, a cow came up right next to me and licked
my face.

happen or occur, as with an event or situation

Don’t worry about a problem until after it comes up.

come up with think of an idea, especially as the first person to do so, or to

produce a solution

Sahar comes up with her best story ideas at night, so she writes them down
before she forgets them.

count on rely or depend on

If I’m ever making a mistake, I can count on my friends to warn me.

dive into occupy oneself with something; to pore over quickly or reach into
quickly

I’ll dive into that new TV show later tonight.

dress up wear nice clothes or put forth in the best light

Abed dressed up for the award ceremony.

end up eventually reach some conclusion or destination

After thinking for a day, he ended up taking the job.

fall apart break into pieces

My new dress completely fell apart after just two washes.

suffer from mental or emotional distress

He endured all kinds of harassment at work without flinching but completely

fell apart when his cat got sick.

fill up fill something completely

Bruce filled his wine glass up to the brim. / Bruce filled up his wine glass to
the brim.

find out discover or learn

We’ll have to wait until the next TV episode to find out who the killer is.

get across communicate or explain something clearly

The professor spoke for hours but didn’t get anything across to the
students.

get ahead succeed or progress

You’ll never get ahead at this company unless you follow the rules.

get around travel from place to place

It’s impossible to get around this city without a car.

get around to do something eventually

I’ll get around to fixing the table after the playoffs.

get away with escape punishment or some other unpleasantness

Shirley thought she got away with cheating until the teacher asked her to
stay after class.

get along with be friendly with

My dog gets along with everyone as long as they’re not a cat.

get at reach

There’s an itch on my back that I can’t get at.

attempt to prove or explain

What these graphs are getting at is that we’ll be bankrupt by next week.

get away escape or depart from

Lucio liked to go to the lake every weekend, just to get away from the city.

get away with escape punishment for a crime or misdeed

The boss’s nephew gets away with much more than any of the other
employees.

get back have something returned

Rodger got his pencil back from Greta. / Rodger got back his pencil from
Greta.

get back at have revenge on someone

Laila promised herself that she would get back at whoever started the
rumor.

get by survive or manage at the bare minimum

When Sheila lost her job, the family had to get by with only their savings.

get down enjoy oneself without inhibitions, especially with music or dancing

Vicente may be overly formal at work, but he sure knows how to get down
to hip-hop.

get down depress or discourage someone

Kima always gets everyone down with her stories from the hospital.

record or write something down

The President spoke quickly at the press conference, and reporters were
struggling to get all of his comments down.

get down to begin or start

Once everyone arrives, we’ll get down to picking teams.

get in on join an activity

After Bitcoin started going up, everyone wanted to get in on cryptocurrency.

get into discuss something thoroughly

I don’t want to get into our finances now; we’ll talk after our guests leave.

get out of receive a benefit from something

Babysitting the Cohles was a nightmare, but at least Janelle got some
money out of it.

get over recover or overcome

Drinking a lot of water helps in getting over an illness.

get through complete or endure an unpleasant task

Alessandra can’t get through a morning without coffee.

get to annoy or bother someone

People who don’t clean up after their dogs really get to me.

get together have a social event

The volleyball team is getting together for dinner after practice.

give away donate something or give something for free

Mindy gave her prized doll collection away. / Mindy gave away her prized
doll collection.

give up accept defeat, quit, or surrender

Carin felt like giving up every time she saw the scoreboard.

give up stop consuming or doing something, often a habit

Minh gave chocolate up for his diet. / Minh gave up chocolate for his diet.
go against contradict, oppose, or fight against

A group of students went against the school dress code yesterday and wore
ripped jeans.

go ahead proceed or move forward

Because of the snow, we can’t go ahead with the festival.

go along with agree with or pretend to agree with

Even though Cedric hated weight lifting, he went along with it because his
coach suggested it.

go for try or attempt to achieve something

Carlos trains so hard because he is going for an Olympic gold medal.

go on continue doing something (see keep [x] up)

The boys will go on digging until they hit a water pipe.

go over review or look at again

Marie went over the study guide one last time before the test.

hand in submit (especially an assignment)

The teacher wants us to hand in our essays through email.

hold back prevent someone from doing something

I wanted to become an architect, but my bad grades held me back.

keep up continue doing something (see go on)

Keep this pace up and you’ll set a new record!

leave out omit or disregard

Orna left the graph out of the presentation. / Orna left out the graph from
the presentation.

let down disappoint

Kamal let Marco down when he arrived late. / Kamal let down Marco when
he arrived late.
let go of  release or free

Don’t let go of the rope until I’m safe.

let in allow to enter

Close the door or you’ll let the flies in!

let know tell someone something

Let me know as soon as Leslie texts back.

look after take care of someone or something

Thank you for looking after me when I was sick.

look up to admire or idolize someone

I looked up to this YouTuber until I read about their scandal.

mix up confuse something with something else

It’s easy to mix up Chris Pine and Chris Pratt.

pull up retrieve or bring something nearer

Eugene pulled the document up on his computer. / Eugene pulled up the

document on his computer.

put on wear or add something to your person or an object

I always put my backpack on before leaving the house. / I always put on my

backpack before leaving the house.

put up with tolerate or condone

Somehow Paz could put up with Janice’s cynical attitude.

run out of use all of or drain the supply of something

Isabella ran out of toilet paper at the worst possible time.

see to make sure something is done

I’ll see to watering the plants while you’re gone.

set up arrange or organize

Since no one invited me to join their study group, I set one up myself.

show off deliberately display abilities or accomplishments in order to

impress people

Panya didn’t need to shoot so many three-pointers; she was just showing
off.

shut off turn off, especially a machine

Don’t forget to shut the water off after your shower. / Don’t forget to shut off
the water after your shower.

take after resemble, especially with parents and their children

Li takes after his father when it comes to politics.

take out move something outside

Please take the garbage out before dinner. / Please take out the garbage
before dinner.

think over consider something

When his parents suggested selling his Pokemon cards, Yosef thought it
over.

throw away dispose of something

Could you throw that old burrito away? / Could you throw away that old
burrito?

turn down reject or say “no”

My crush turned me down after I asked them out.

top off fill something to the top; to complete something in a special or

spectacular way

May I top off your beverage?

wait on serve, especially at a restaurant

Billie eagerly waited on the new table of customers, hoping for a big tip.