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Writing Tips: Subject-Verb Agreement
[PDF version] [Microsoft Word version]
Subject-Verb Agreement
Following are some general guidelines
to help you with subject-verb agreement in your writing.
Singular and Plural Subjects
(simple):
 |
A rule of thumb: in the present tense, if the subject ends in "S",
the verb usually does not. |
Carrots have
lots of vitamins.
That carrot has
a funny shape.
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Other examples: |
Mike likes gum.
Children like gum.
The mailman brings letters.
The mailmen bring letters.
She runs very fast.
They run very fast.
"Hidden" Subjects
|
Things tend to get more confusing when the subject
and the verb do not come next to each other in the sentence. However, the
"number" of a subject does not change with the addition of clauses,
phrases, or various expressions which come between the subject and the
verb. |
Drugs, not to mention
social injustice, are
a major cause of crime.
All of the fish in
my tank died.
Cindy, as well as
her sister, is
a good student.
Compound Subjects
|
Subjects
joined by "and" are usually plural. |
Batman and Robin fight
crime.
Jeff and Fred love
the movie The Saint.
Watch out:
The creator and chief promoter of geodesic domes
is
Buckminster Fuller.
NOTE: Logic dictates that Buckminster Fuller is
only one person, no matter how many things he does.
Subjects Joined by Either/Or
|
Subjects joined by either/or, neither/nor,
and not only...but take a singular verb. |
Either James or Doris visits
us at least once a week.
Neither the police nor security came
when our obnoxious neighbors threw a party late last night.
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If one subject is plural and the other singular,
then the verb agrees with the closer subject. |
Neither the ranch nor the saddles were
cheap.
Neither the saddles nor the ranch was
cheap.
|
If the subjects are people, the verb agrees
with the nearer subject. |
Neither John nor you were
ready for class today.
Neither you nor John was
ready for class today.
Clauses and Phrases as Subjects
|
If the entire clause functions as a subject,
the verb is singular. |
Flying like a bird is
impossible for humans.
Running rings around the competition takes
hard work and luck.
Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects
|
Words such as each, (n)either,
one, everybody, and anyone usually take singular verbs. |
|
Words such as all, any, some
and none can take singular or plural verbs. |
Either of the children will
happily play in the sandbox.
Each of the JLA members except for Batman
and Green Arrow has
a superpower.
Some of the cars go
fast.
Some of us are
leaving now.
Relative Pronouns
|
Relative
pronouns such as who,
which, or
that, used as the subject of a relative clause
have the same "number" as their antecedents (words that the pronouns
replace). |
The League of the Scarlet
Pimpernel , a book which
is out of print,
is hard to find.
Children who
like candy eat
too much sugar.
Collective Nouns and Amounts
|
When referring to the group as a unit, collective
nouns and phrases denoting fixed quantities take singular verbs. In reference
to individuals or parts of the group, the plural is used. |
(Singular -- regarded as a unit)
Sixty gallons of water weighs
about two hundred and forty pounds.
The United States is
a democracy.
The news is
very good.
The majority is
not always right.
(Plural -- regarded as parts of a unit or as individuals.)
Sixty gallons of water were
spilled on the floor.
The majority of us are
going tonight.
Linking Verbs
|
Linking verbs agree with the subject, not the
predicate noun/compliment. |
Her problem is
several broken bones.
Several broken bones are
her problem.
It was
the cats who chased the dog.
There is/There are Constructions
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In sentences beginning with there, the verb depends
on the compliment/predicate noun. |
There is
no easy way
to get to Austin, Nevada from here.
There is
a university
on Maryland Parkway.
There are
no saber tooth tigers
in Nevada.
There are
five living ex-presidents.
Titles of Works, "General
Terms", and Company Names
|
Titles of works, "general
terms" and company names take singular verbs. |
"Kids" means
"children." (This means
this.)
How Green Was My Valley is
a good example of Welsh-English prose.
Dominic and Eugene is
a touching movie.
General Foods makes
many brands of cereal.
General Dynamics has
several contracts with the Department of Defense.
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