SUBJECT-VERB

AGREEMENT

Dian Kusuma Suci

Rule 1
When one of the following words is used
as a subject, it is always singular.
Some are plural in meaning, but they always need a singular verb.

Everybody Somebody Anybody Nobody Each

Everyone Someone Anyone No one Every

Everything Something Anything Nothing Either

Neither
Rule 1 examples
Neither of the managers has fulfilled the
expectations of the firm.
Everyone in the different departments is
expected to work on Saturdays.
Anybody is worthy of promotion if he or
she merits it.
Rule 2 and examples
Each of these cakes is delicious.
When each or every comes before a
singular subject that is joined by and,
use a singular verb.
Every man and woman has the same
salary according to the position held.
Each student and teacher has a laptop.
Rule 3
Sometimes the subject is separated
from the verb by such words as along
with, as well as, besides, etc. These
words and phrases are not part of the
subject. Ignore them and use a singular
verb when the subject is singular.
Rule 3 examples of phrases
together with
in addition to
along with
as well as
except
except for
Rule 3 examples
The politician, along with the newsmen, is
expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the
cause of her shaking.
The teacher along with her students is
viewing a film.
One of the boxes is open.
The team captain, together with his players,
is anxious.
Rule 4 and examples
When a sentence begins with here,
there or where, the subject comes after
the verb.
Here are the results of the survey we had
last week.
There is a link to a great website on this
list.
Rule 5 and examples
Expressions stating one amount of time,
money, weight, volume, distance, etc. are
plural in form but take a singular verb.

Three miles is too far to walk.

Five hundred dollars is required as a down
payment.
Twenty gallons of gasoline costs a lot of money.
Rule 6
Some words are always plural in form
but singular in meaning. Use singular
verbs.
Academic subjects: mathematics, physics,
economics, statistics, civics, etc.
Diseases: measles, mumps, herpes, diabetes, etc
Abstract nouns: news, ethics, politics, etc.
Rule 6 examples
Mathematics is a difficult subject for
some people.
The news about the merger was not
very good.
Some of the newer diseases, of which
AIDS is one, are very hard to eradicate.
Rule 7 and examples
Titles of books and movies, even if
plural in form, take a singular subject.

The New York Times is a good newspaper.

Jaws was one of the first blockbuster
movies of the last century.
Rule 8 and examples
Subjects that are joined by and or both
. . . and . . . take a plural subject
• if they don’t begin with each or every

A red Honda and a blue Ford are parked

outside the bank.
Both tigers and elephants are becoming
extinct.
Rule 9 and examples
Several, many, both, few, etc., when
they are used as pronouns, are plural
and always take a plural verb.

Both have been accepted to Baylor

University.
Only a few have passed the entrance
exam.
Rule 10
Some nouns are always plural in form
and always take plural verbs

Clothes : trousers, pants, jeans,

sunglasses
Tools : scissors, pliers, tweezers
Abstract : riches, thanks
Rule 10 examples
His pants are still at the cleaners.
These scissors are dull.
The means used to take over the
company were not the most ethical.
The pliers were left too close to the
gears and eventually cause the
damage.
Rule 11
The verb must agree with the closer
subject, when 2 subjects are joined by
the following structures:
either . . . or
neither . . . nor
not only . . . but also
Rule 11 examples
Neither the students nor the teacher is allowed to
smoke in the classroom.

Either the manager or the supervisors have your

tools.

Not only the nurses but also the doctor is coming

soon.
Rule 12 and examples
Many words may be singular or plural
depending on what they refer to
• none, all, some, any, majority, most, half, etc.
All of the book has been destroyed.

All of the books have been thrown away.

All of the money is in the bank.

Rule 13 and examples
The expression a number of is plural,
and the expression the number of is
singular.
A number of students were missing
from class.
The number of Japanese students is
small.
Rule 14
Collective nouns are usually singular.
• When the unit is acting in unison, it is
appropriate to use in singular.
• When the member of the unit are acting as
individuals, it is appropriate to use plural form.
Examples:
team, committee, class, audience, faculty,
police, family, staff, etc.
Rule 14 examples
That class has its final test on Friday.(the class is reffered to a
unit acting in unison. The students are all doing the same thing
at the same time)
The class are working on their individual projects today.(the
class are unit but acting as individuals. They each doing their
own projects)
The police are investigating different aspects of the crime. Why
plural?
The staff has decided to support the new company measures.
Why singular?
Rule 15
Nouns for nationality that end with:
–ese, -ch, or –sh
may be singular or plural depending on their
meaning. Chinese, French, English, etc.
When word refers to a language, it takes a
singular verb.
When the word refers to the people of the
country, it takes a plural verb and has the
article the before it.
Rule 15 examples
French is a Romance language.
The French were reluctant to join the
European Community.
English is spoken in Malaysia.
The English are helping the Americans
in Iraq.
Rule 16
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.
Rule 16 examples
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot 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
Practice Activity
Identify the subject in each of the
following sentences and circle it. Then
fill in the blank with IS if the subject is
singular or with ARE if the subject is
plural. See the example.
Nylon, like orlon, _is_ a synthetic material
frequently used in the manufacture of
stockings.
1. A number of new doctors ____ employed by the
hospital that just opened.
2. All of the creeks in the surrounding area ____ polluted
by waste water.
3. All of the waste water ____ from the company located
by the river.
4. Both the chair and the sofa ____ on sale at the
furniture store at the new mall.
5. Due to the amount of work done, the committee ____
separated from their families for long periods of time.
6. Either his children or his wife ____ arriving today from
abroad.
7. English ____ still spoken in many of the former British
colonies.
8. Every dog and cat ____ vaccinated against rabies
during this campaign period.
9. Everyone in the group ____ working hard to get the
project moving.
10. There ____ bicyclists who endanger the joggers who
come in for their early morning training.
11. Mathematics ____ a science that I have always been
fond of.
12. The committee ____ having its meeting to discuss this
pollution problem.
13. The English ____ well known for their love of tea and
crumpets.
14. The hypothesis he presents ____ supported by the
accompanying data.
15. The New York Times ____ read by people all around
the world.
16. The number of female doctors ____ larger than that
of male doctors.
17. The young sheep ____ getting closer to their mothers
because of the approaching storm.
18. There ____ several universities located on the
outskirts of this city.
19. Those species of fish ____ found in lakes as well as
in rivers and ponds.
20. Two hundred dollars ____ a lot of money to lose on
silly bets.