Subject-Verb Agreement
Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural). Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.In present tenses, nouns and verbs form plurals in opposite ways:
• Nouns ADD an s to the singular form
• Verbs REMOVE an s from the singular form.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeqkE6gtWFHgVGuB40fwt3xsIF_M14APO75TBSGnI_yjmI9h6PP_DftA6QT-f6h2W-OGJdgIyjdPcjpcmk2Jbye2z9elzcLUyUjBx0x45FTiAETCVZhyphenhyphen-52R61WyuGoodSHFlBModWfeu/s16000/1.png)
Here are nine subject-verb agreement rules.
Rule 1: A phrase or clause between subject and verb does not change the number of the subject.
Examples:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23Oybnv6VGbHvO166Lzv2avWEopPqBpO52IC0EF_tkLgo_SrZiTFuPdWx0MHcCqVKMIzFz15C-moVyrf8kV3O07XnBr8a4tpyzG0FspCtXgXnDZ4C3JjSwIqpIlEagKYKqr9_2qEPwGZ8/s16000/2.png)
Rule 2: Indefinite pronouns as subjects
Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs.
Singular: each, either, neither, one, no one, nobody, nothing, anyone, anybody, anything, someone, somebody, something, everyone, everybody, everything
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeiC3Is0Y3IgkUhg4rawjlP8UsB4FVTXVsTRxYQ8Ecmq-sJ79Ovo6issQTHhmpjbNWRttVbSFBisyRn8ijXR_lstl67Xp_s1tGJ3d9FBskTAv8v8Yj6TjhIkFT6VXwtqF9imzQCiXnEiu/s16000/3.png)
Plural: several, few, both, many
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58bEjlblId7H-kNzVkad4x-RcY6ap7eO_N7cOYUW4Ke0i0VpnnXjgqnaeatvSK5UGaqEvuXR7qp1UE8CJtkGm3cobhPLsxaafRQ1dxpnuJRh7jbpMLqiAXktPiA8r9JAQ4g9q92SchJzI/s16000/4.png)
EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL: Some, any, none, all, most
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6Njng6SPcw3l93gqjW2K5TyDdBbIszZcNZJaQokXj9gJxd38-VZvYrGcUKedcM_WlUk_EZywYllAwU6wExPIh0a_P6uDw-DYtVUbVHiwZG0G-M3v8_9EEjug07nkf1sUDV6r4Zo-igrg/s16000/5.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfzuTwffwcVeU19PA-cKbaMVJOU0X8Iwp_7uv10Fwh7WskZOtDFU2B_MaIMJ1vG6XqvZiJ7eFpdLoBN_me9dd7zSiwifbHdutMIEbjQbFNGmuSuAUruu8QE3qA83qxuv-8a76N2pWNy5M/s16000/6.png)
Rule 3: Compound subjects joined by and are always plural.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpofW9Dn6C0MdQucvztWlGdMf60F0q-Ab3ihSoAkPymZW-T0FV1DxKrXQdNzq5jvTHm0kAHucBfFxywHs5MXhEERX3rLSwrVNBWtkUJapiAN6sQycLbkrdr1tPtokZ7oEmjnXEGeBjfhUt/s16000/7.png)
Rule 4: With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEp2_8yzMPdBJXdjX3FcydleigHCueX1tJD93lcOrY7tC2x9FmlzyNYj_8wBG9WzFaSRTJekcd-KKF2jP4maUw8OBtM5xCZe3xaTAjTSMlWe9mlaylnbgWYdpPUggM2-3C13igjtEmznNK/s16000/8.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJ-yOQUKbvul1LfhreMU9I-lfzX-3o21CgeJ40KYrv2Nwy_IosnleTylFdcb5SFwESVh4SDB2OHCURf5a1fChvDa4ftHx944xvhJunM7gl9WnHvi-jn7cllQaefFMh4l0i-3KV8316UF6/s16000/9.png)
Rule 5: Inverted Subjects must agree with the verb.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rvdiPwnCtyIve2oxnidhtKt0_KTqaUkx8gmyGidLKHZ5OU0efaZW9b6vMuMYjLgL9c8QSjaN3HSKfYbajT2DyWC6FcrYFLl1utRUbNYojQMI0ybc_wwKC0YAjI52EyGPvnvvkQy9NPxY/s16000/10.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEuZQjNassLtLA83ew37QnFhnkZg9sJAvhWewvYH8hyPq1L0-cDZ-mIDY5wJS4_75LuStnNw9yah4ZcIiExKYPspTytwb9N1aWn2pPVeh88Q-El4imF2KseM3VgS9erws5XBsumSDk_qz/s16000/11.png)
Rule 6: Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending on meaning.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqHIBoUxnOpV0eCIOIx4Gu29qbyuLo3-1D0Rs_1CEBA7E9U4Mu1g-WPsncs1lCR6r5n_Wjn33N5TVCEQHBmkxQk2PPBjtyumsozOrZaGYB5QBsNeh53hg838l4bS99ZN1gE1wJJ-h-Ic-/s16000/12.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HQtVqh5PTj-ulqlsi9n7BRPZpaNw7PXOj2kszaEo-siHRKcqxdUT9BD_yDFJJVwSDRqJLfwNeVDFphBejBw7ETvgSNlCRoXchJDWrfhpNM8SO3PTsp7jdspnBFMYS0QoJ-IrS0EWoshq/s16000/13.png)
Rule 7: Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are always singular.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8jZ4Z_MwT82ZZpGAFDM5cPcP_p6ZjLLbB22soAMgegEFobGNx7a39ldB57iWv6ij97Kq961Hh0zOI-x9b84nxRXIIaT9Ldhgguy3XkSkEhUWQy0bwaHutkC02kH2AXnRUB2SyFZtrwxu/s16000/14.png)
Rule 8: Plural form subjects
Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb. (e.g. news, measles, mumps, physics, etc.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrnAVBcrhmQ7I1BmP8eY1CrxhLIuajpExtMZJAmqXpv1bE5i8PD1ajYC3oopYL4Ifo6un3ZKRQvl4f5bhQfCsX3ZFw-oLIjdoG-dZ07Zq1sp_pa1R4_377GUilo6JZFr_6PokpYSR_0V_/s16000/15.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFBuXTHf4z7G6cX8nYc1C1CbUYxULjJLPXuS5FeIj6WbOKYDhsZOGGOfPXc0_o3WwFclbFiUpc-AeIsj8DAfID_fHn7YgkK4dmrejBbDZzYR2zFA4K7nUnLgD8IhSgbz57JQ5IxQ4U6vA/s16000/16.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ymBgBRBza5k_KOAJsidgvZk9nVFZYxznfzuhY4tk97wOqOfSEZ9_woe-vi5-dDwSdVS81Nev_ePVUwOsyZAykqMJmZxU9sLgYpS8_-JYAdHn_hQzWFTnQnPJyICTtQluOr2zC7qJDRjv/s16000/17.png)
Plural form subjects with a plural meaning take a plural verb. (e.g. scissors, trousers)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRSURJyeoTL2nJ3u4E1-AJNF_TXywi4KafP5ohF5lvythMEzg4FjH8V4CMvm3W89AnBvMuxdr1sdRyHiYoKZ1OuDteoS2OTafDmMkvt2TGjCFz6pU8L2sar8R4bYPwL2jqi4dJMvELGhH/s16000/18.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtCme-xzc1kw1OAaCXpq57pp1PPPFRm3otmK3TGw_kS229nvFiM7OzDWBhrINzUa6KsXRRvOwzx1TQEJsBPvz80U6t_em401SheOlwXCjxQ4bKMcvCnkKVdewoksDQrgALGnoPSKzhrWP/s16000/19.png)
Rule 9: With subject and subjective complement of different number, the verb always agrees with the subject.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGldFNySw_Vs_4PQUPwwkDbuBFYqr704tRiXDewmroHGDyVsVJRIi3KBF4lFk2oOrgALuutWhqNweK8b4c2Y9I2SPWb5zMsUqo1CqXmtUKB5-fWIu4nclMmeWX_JUWnqQahIjH-81FgpQ/s16000/20.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbRVQHHGywQO5tgiZWRErLrk0gWAE2CIDhXITUf5_YBjoKNgtRXpCmOoDMai-V8UmyF60TuJXbp9j9oAqM0wFss1cSOVxMwIXXnv1fqMj4ac2HhVBgItRZIhZMeUGKCpPkqgtNEyjC02w5/s16000/21.png)
Rule 10-A: With one of those ________ who, use a plural verb.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcz2QMGZwTHIJzspX5BRDdU_yEG0ONU5XNu61ABSHE6LvUqcORYkGiajvZUza54zrXf32HMLSvkFRc_tewNdZoi4wipdeEjihTklqe9e_w_JCMK_qxWtYF2ib1TZ_rDToMKw0wTan_Ph4/s16000/22.png)
Rule 10-B: With the only one of those ________who, use a singular verb.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8W4AYwU8-4TqY4PRfOH0e0JLiC1MNzHDKwgT4nl4YFe-2nxRRvSVaHzWz7n-Gi2CvDmm2vg5qN9y01PKhygX9gzter-dXJBdb1lAw_sCAY2mwyAnuvc-orVI69UUN-qQiLbqJt_u4tWT/s16000/23.png)
Rule 11-A: With the number of _______, use a singular verb.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwnkkewUvA5QfuriyJlD0aM9wVnf2ifZabFzUKbkfa7UXzgV39rWec4JfpQbITd4XP9vh7v4ZNZcTQjXDwZbI4HAwbOauuDC184N2pp2FYldsE3ZzyOLpWkUn4yb9JUN9SW2pjjRfWofhv/s16000/24.png)
Rule 11-B: With a number of _______, use a plural verb.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhi7jS8tQPvgcn-FOCTI1rJB1KN2DyB3EGt24Y_gGvzdQVPrMC9ah1At3ji0rzb132vEy6aY35rxgl_xtONz-zLPP2lAR600XAShyphenhyphenZZN96FklTj2WlyVZ1kadAoCV4pYGVB70GcNxex0y/s16000/25.png)
Rule 12: With every ______ and many a ________, use a singular verb.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLj5X30yTPqQtJOPl8jAGXiArN5AAYR06iWZ9lLP3OHh95WhJGRRcW3YtUwQcVpy3H3NpO8xQoVsTJYqEDNGGozfi3IsMt96_YNiUCa50qYe0T2AnQOjNHRU6qsat6es5lI4uOo5GyXDTK/s16000/26.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cFs_sj9PeHzyZIkQh9BZ_xdj23V7e6vb5BXn7D5b0-7-E1jscI1w2x21r1UpwPID4WWhF2-O0bA06NgbFzyfCY778CspFXgiPiY5z7d3wG3YzbBRJqdtUIi3b0x4BaXW42KaxKY6X7IJ/s16000/27.png)
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