SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of
subject-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.

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.

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 8. 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.
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

In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly
singular. However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English
Usage: "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English
and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that
appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a
singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb.
Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly
intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.

Rule 9. 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 10. 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 things that
are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory. 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.

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.

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule
that forms the background of the concept. In these examples the subject is
underlined and the verb is in italics

The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs growl when they are angry.

2. Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb;
they do not affect agreement.

The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.

3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect
agreement.

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

4. When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will always be
placed after the verb, so care needs to be taken to identify it correctly.

There is a problem with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you
requested.

5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you
accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to
use.

Where are the pieces of this puzzle?

6. If two subjects are joined by "and," they typically require a plural verb
form.

The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.

7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by "and" refer to the
same person or thing.

Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.

8. If one of the words "each," "every," or "no" comes before the subject, the
verb is singular.

No smoking or drinking is allowed. Every man and woman is required

to check in.

9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words "or,"
"nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," and "not only/but also" the verb is singular.

Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

10. The only time when the object of the preposition factors into the decision
of plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like
"some," "half," "none," "more," or "all" are followed by a prepositional phrase.
In these sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the
verb.

All of the chicken is gone. All of the chickens are gone.

11. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.

Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words "or,"
"nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," and "not only/but also" the verb is plural.

Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.

13. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by
the words "or," "nor," "neither/nor," "either/or," and "not only/but also", you
use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo. Neither
the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs. *

Everybody wants to be loved.

15. * Except for the pronouns "few," "many," "several," "both," "all," and
"some" that always take the plural form.

Few were left alive after the flood.

16. If two infinitives are separated by "and" they take the plural form of the
verb.

To walk and to chew gum require great skill.

17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the
singular form of the verb; but, when they are linked by "and," they take the
plural form.

Standing in the water was a bad idea. Swimming in the ocean and playing
drums are my hobbies.

18. Collective nouns like "herd," "senate," "class," and "crowd," usually take
a singular verb form.

The herd is stampeding.

19. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a
singular verb.

The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.

20. Final Rule – Remember, only the subject affects the verb!

For more examples, check out Examples of Subject Verb Agreement.

Challenges of Grammar Rules

The problem with some grammar rules, from the perspective of modern
linguistics, is that there is not one absolute grammar rule in the English
language. Most American native-English speakers equate standard English
with being correct and any non-standard variation of English with being
incorrect.

In reality, however, the concept of standard American English is really the

privileging of a particular dialect of English that originates from the Ohio
River Valley. This is the dialect of English that the anchors of the nightly
news speak and that we base our notions
of correct and incorrect grammar on. It is important to recognize that no
grammar usage is any more correct or incorrect than any other on a
functional level, and our notions of correct and incorrect are culturally
constructed.

Usage - 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,

BUT

verbs REMOVE an s from the singular form.

Here are nine subject-verb agreement rules.

1. A phrase or clause between subject and verb does not change the number of the subject.

Examples:

2. Indefinite pronouns as subjects

 Singular indefinite pronoun subjects take singular verbs.

  Plural indefinite pronoun subjects take plural verbs.

PLURAL: several, few, both, many

 Some indefinite pronouns may be either singular or plural: with uncountable,

use singular; with countable, use plural.

EITHER SINGULAR OR PLURAL: some, any, none, all, most

Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb.

3. Compound subjects joined by and are always plural.

4. With compound subjects joined by or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

In the above example, the plural verb are agrees with the nearer subject actors.

In this example, the singular verb is agrees with the nearer subject director.

5. Inverted Subjects must agree with the verb.

6. Collective Nouns (group, jury, crowd, team, etc.) may be singular or plural, depending
on meaning.

In this example, the jury is acting as one unit; therefore, the verb is singular.

In this example, the jury members are acting as twelve individuals; therefore, the verb is
plural.

7. Titles of single entities (books, organizations, countries, etc.) are always singular.

8. Plural form subjects

 Plural form subjects with a singular meaning take a singular verb. (e.g. news,
measles, mumps, physics, etc.)
  Plural form subjects with singular or plural meaning take a singular or plural
verb, depending on meaning. (e.g. politics, economics, etc.)

In this example, politics is a single topic; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.

In this example, politics refers to the many aspects of the situation; therefore, the sentence
has a plural verb.

 Plural form subjects with a plural meaning take a plural verb. (e.g. scissors,
trousers)

Note: In this example, the subject of the sentence is pair; therefore, the verb must
agree with it. (Because scissors is the object of the preposition, scissors does not affect the
number of the verb.)

9. With subject and subjective complement of different number, the verb always agrees
with the subject.
10-A. With one of those ________ who, use a plural verb.

The above example implies that others besides Hannah like to read comic books. Therefore,
the plural verb is the correct form to use.

10-B. With the only one of those ________who, use a singular verb.

The above example implies that no one else except for Hannah likes to read comic books. Therefore,
the singular verb is the correct for to use.
11-A. With the number of _______, use a singular verb.

11-B. With a number of _______, use a plural verb.

12. With every ______ and many a ________, use a singular verb.
1. Use verbs that agree with a subject, not with a noun that is part of a modifying phrase
or clause between verb and subject:
“The pot of eggs is boiling on the stove.”
2. Use singular or plural verbs that agree with the subject, not with the complement of
the subject:
“My favorite type of movie is comedies,” but “Comedies are my favorite type of movie.”
3. Use singular verbs with singular indefinite pronouns — each, the “-bodies,” “-ones,”
and “-things” (anybody, everyone, nothing), and the like:
“Neither is correct.” (And, just as in rule number 1, the presence of a modifier is irrelevant:
“Neither of them is correct.”)
4. Use plural verbs with plural indefinite pronouns:
“Many outcomes are possible.”
5. Use singular verbs with uncountable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun:
“All the paint is dried up.”
6. Use plural verbs with countable nouns that follow an indefinite pronoun:
“All the nails are spilled on the floor.”
7. Use plural verbs with compound subjects that include and:
“The dog and the cat are outside.”
8. Use plural verbs or singular verbs, depending on the form of the noun nearest the
verb, with compound subjects that include nor or or:
“Either the dog or the cats are responsible for the mess.” (“Either the cats or the
dog is responsible for the mess” is also technically correct but is awkward.)
9. Use singular verbs with inverted subjects that include singular nouns:
“Why is my hat outside in the rain?”
10. Use plural verbs with inverted subjects (those beginning with the
expletive there rather than the actual subject) that include plural nouns:
“There are several hats outside in the rain.”
11. Use singular or plural verbs with collective nouns depending on meaning:
“His staff is assembled,” but “Staff are asked to go to the conference room immediately.” (In the
first sentence, the emphasis is on the body of employees; in the second sentence, the focus is
on compliance by each individual in the body of employees.)
12. Use singular verbs for designations of entities, such as nations or organizations, or
compositions, such as books or films:
“The United Nations is headquartered in New York.”
13. Use singular verbs for subjects plural in form but singular in meaning:
“Physics is my favorite subject.”
14. Use singular or plural verbs for subjects plural in form but plural or singular in
meaning depending on the context:
“The economics of the situation are complicated,” but “Economics is a complicated topic.”
15. Use plural verbs for subjects plural in form and meaning:
“The tweezers are in the cupboard.”
16. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form “one of those (blank) who . . .”:
“I am one of those eccentrics who do not tweet.”
17. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form “the only one of those (blank)
who . . .”:
“I am the only one of my friends who does not tweet.”
18. Use singular verbs in constructions of the form “the number of (blank) . . .”:
“The number of people here boggles the mind.”
19. Use plural verbs in constructions of the form “a number of (blank) . . .”:
“A number of people here disagree.”
20. Use singular verbs in construction of the forms “every (blank) . . .” and “many a
(blank) . . .”:
“Every good boy does fine”; “Many a true word is spoken in jest.”

So what is Subject Verb Agreement?

It is nothing but making the verb agree with the subject. You need to use the right version of the
verb to make the agreement look good.

For e.g. there are different versions of the verb ‘be’ – am, is, are which are used differently if you
use ‘he/she, they, you, we’. If you are a book worm, you probably get these very easily. But it
never hurts to know your grammar rules!

1. Verb-number agreement

Singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs.

The list of to-dos was too long for me to handle.

The lists of to-dos were too long for me to handle.
Even an animal has its own territory.
Even animals have their own territory.
EXCEPTION to this rule:
A plural verb is always required after ‘YOU’ even when it is used in singular, referring to
one person. For e.g:
You were going to send over the document.
2. Rule for when verb has ‘s’ at the end
The ‘s’ added after a noun indicates plural. But an ‘s’ after a verb indicates THIRD
PERSON SINGULAR i.e. the sentence is in third person and the subject is singular. For e.g:
She goes to the library every single day.
They go to the restaurant every day for their favorite dish.
3. The verb has to agree only with the true, main subject . Not with the intervening
plural object of a preposition or any other intervening plural.
The box of Nestle’s chocolates is missing.
 Here, the main subject is box, not chocolates. Hence, we use ‘is’ instead of ‘are’.

More examples:

His experience as a teacher to young kids gives him a lot of understanding.

The prices of the new iphone vary from country to country.
4. Subjects joined by ‘AND’ are usually plural and take plural verbs.
His laptop and my ipad were stolen from the desk.
Chennai and Kolkata have very hot weather.
EXCEPTIONS to this rule:
 If the subject has two singular nouns connected by AND; and both are about the same
person / thing, then the verb remains singular.
My best friend and roommate is going to US for a vacation.
Soup and bread is our Sunday breakfast.
 When two subjects connected by AND are preceded by ‘each, every or many’, a
singular verb is used.
Every chair, table and sofa, every single piece of furniture in the house is up for auction.
Every man and woman in the store is requested to go through the security check.

5. Rule for ‘with, together with, along with, besides, as well as, including, in
addition to’

Words like ‘with, together with, along with, besides, as well as, including, in addition to, etc. do
not affect the number of the verb. If the main subject is singular, the verb has to be singular; if
the subject is plural, the verb has to be plural.

The television, along with the cabinet, is to be sold.

Our chief competitor, as well as ourselves, is obliged to increase the prices.
The decoration of the room, including all the paintings on the walls, is most pleasing.
6. Rule when both singular and plural subjects are present.

If the subject is made up of both singular and plural words connected by or, nor, either – or,
neither – nor, not only, but also then the verb agrees with the nearer part of the subject.

Neither the quality nor the prices have changed.

Neither the prices nor the quality has changed.
Neither the salesman nor the buyers are in favor of the system of management.
Neither the buyers nor the salesman is in favor if the system of the management.
7. Rule for neither-nor, either-or & or

If the subject consists of two singular words connected by ‘or, neither- nor, either – or’, the
subject is singular and requires a singular verb.
Neither the laptop nor the phone was in working order.
Either January or February is going to be her wedding month.
8. Rule for nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning

Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning such as news, measles, mumps, physics,
electronics, tactics, economics and so on usually take singular verbs.

News is traveling faster than ever before.

Physics has fascinated my hostel mate for months.
Some nouns ending in ‘-ics’ such as athletics, statistic and politics are considered singular
when referring to an organized body of knowledge and plural when referring to individual facts,
qualities or activities.
Athletics provide good recreation. (i.e. various games)
Economics is an important subject for every field of study.
9. A linking verb usually agrees with its subject, not with its compliment.
Excessive absences were the reason for his failure.
The reason of his failure was excessive absences.
10. Rule for nouns that do not have singular forms

Plural verbs are required for many nouns that have no singular form, such as proceeds, goods,
ashes, remains, credentials, premises etc.

The proceeds of the magic show are to be given to the fund for soldier’s welfare.
The goods are being dispatched today by goods train.
SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT FOR COLLECTIVE NOUNS
(Image source: Pinterest)
What are collective nouns?
A collective noun is a word that represents a group of persons, animals or things. For e.g.
audience, committee, company, council, army, police, society, board, department, cabinet etc.
the following rules govern the form of verb to be used with a collective noun.
1. When a group acts as a unit, the verb should be singular.
The committee has agreed to submit its report on Friday.
The board of directors meets once in a month.
The firm is one of the most reputed in the country.
The majority has made its decision.
2. When the members of the group are thought of as acting separately, the verb
should be plural.
The teams are arguing over who should be the captain (individual members in the team are
arguing).
The committee were not in agreement on the action to be taken.
The audience were cheering and laughing, even crying.
 3. Company names may be either singular or plural, according to their
meaning. The plural form emphasizes the individual personnel making up the company.
Mudra and corporation have retained the goodwill of their customers.
The oil corporation is located at Nariman Point, Mumbai.
4. Rule for nouns expressing time, money or quantity

When nouns expressing periods of time, amounts of money or quantities are considered as a
singular unit, singular verbs are used. For e.g.

Rs 10 seems too much for the job.

3 months is too long a time to wait.
The number of board members is very small.
That Rs 1 lakh was an inheritance from my father.
Yes, 5m is ample for a suit.
5. After such expressions as ‘one half of’, ‘two-thirds of’, ‘a part of’, ‘a majority of’
 Use a singular verb if a singular noun follows the ‘of’.
A part of the office is closed.
Two-third of the mailing list has been typed.
A majority of 3500 indicates his popularity in the constituency.
 Use a plural verb when a plural noun follows the’ of’.
Part of the walls are to be painted.
Two thirds of our workers live in the suburbs.
The majority of our staff members live in villages.
6. Rules for ‘The number’
The expression ‘the number’ has a singular meaning and requires a singular verb,
whereas the expression ‘a number’ has a plural meaning and takes a plural verb.

The number of board members is very small.

A number of board members were absent.
The number of orders is still to be executed is estimated at nearly a 100.
A number of our staff are going on leave.

7. In sentences containing the words ‘one of’, the verb is chosen as follows:
 In simple form, one of or one of the, a singular verb is used.
One of the reasons for his demotion is his carelessness.
One of the pens is missing from my desk.
 The sentences containing phrases ‘one of those who’ or ‘one of the things that’, a plural verb is
required.
He is one of those managers who favor increasing the staff.

Here favor agrees with those. In the phrase one of those who, those is the plural object of the
preposition of. In the subordinate clause who favor, the relative pronoun who is the subject and
must agree with its antecedent those.
Mr. Verma is one of our officers who is accompanying me.
He is one of our employees who are always alert.

However, when only precedes one of / one of those, a singular verb is used.

Ramesh is only one of our employees who is always alert.

Mr Verma is the only one of our officers accompanying me.
8. Rule of singular nouns and plural verbs

Certain collective nouns, those who are singular in form, are always used in the plural sense and
take a plural verb. For e.g. gentry, cattle, poultry, alphabets, offspring etc.

These poultry are ready for sale.

There are 26 alphabets in English.
The cattle are grazing near the canal.
9. The always singular nouns
Certain nouns are always used in singular and followed by singular verbs. These are not used in
the plural sense and do not take on plural verbs. For e.g. hair, issue, advice, information,
scenery, luggage, mischief, bread, abuse, furniture, land, business, machinery,
poultry etc. (Detailed discussion right after examples)
Her hair has turned grey now.
The scenery of Kasauli is beautiful.
Is there any information in this regard?
All the machinery is old.
I have sold all the furniture that was useless.
My luggage is lying at the bus stand.

A small session on countable and uncountable nouns can really help clear this confusion of
singular / plural.

COUNTABLE Vs UNCOUNTABLE
(Image courtesy: Juice Queen)

Countable Nouns: These are the names of objects, people etc. that we can count, e.g. book, pen,
apple, boy, sister, doctor, horse.

Uncountable nouns: These are the names of things, which we cannot count, e.g., milk, oil, sugar,
gold, and honesty. They mainly denote substances and abstract things.

E.g. Nature (uncountable)

 NOTE:
 Countable nouns have plural forms and can be used with a/an.
Uncountable nouns do not have plural forms and cannot be used with a/an.

For e.g. we say books but we do not say “milks”.

 The following nouns are usually uncountable in English:Advice, news, information,
furniture, luggage work, business, weather, traffic, scenery, paper, and
bread. Most of these are countable in Indian languages and therefore Indian students
often wrongly use them with ‘a/an’and in the plural.
EXAMPLE :
He gave me an advice. (Incorrect) (ek se kya hoga??)
He gave me some advice (correct) (or, a piece of advice)
The sceneries here are very good. (Incorrect)
The scenery here is very good. (Correct)
10. Each, every, either, neither

The words ‘each, every, either, neither’, used as pronouns or else adjectives, are always singular
and require singular verbs.

Each of them does have political ambitions.

Each employee is responsible for clearing is desk in the evening.
Neither of the boys is eligible for taking the examination.
Neither boy is eligible for selection.
EXCEPTION : If a parenthetical each follows a plural noun or pronoun, the verb should be
singular.
The members each feel their responsibility.
They each have their own problem.
10 each of these books is required.

11. All, any, many ….

All, any, more, most, some – may be singular or plural depending on the meaning, and take
verbs accordingly.

Some of the books seem too old.

Some of the food is not good. (food is a singular noun)
All the typing has been finished. (typing is an activity. Can’t be plural)
All the reports have been typed.
Most of the goods have been sold.
Most of the stock has been sold, but more of these shirts are due. (stock is always singular)
12. The titles of books or magazines are considered singular and take singular verbs.
The Hindustan times still has wide circulation.
The Shiva Trilogy is a best seller.
13. The always singular words which take singular verbs

The following words and their compounds are always singular and requires a singular verb.

Body (anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody)

Thing (anything, everything, nothing, something)
One (anyone, everyone, no one, someone)

Something is wrong with him these days.

Everybody in the office has tickets.
Everyone is required to clear their dues.
Nobody knows the trouble I have seen.
No one is entitled to have his debts cancelled.
14. Rules for relative pronouns

A relative pronoun is one which establishes a relationship between two subjects (who, which,
that). When it is used as a subject, it takes a singular or plural verb to accord with its antecedent
i.e. if the subject is singular, use a singular verb and so on.

Measles is among the diseases that are curable.

This is only one of the local papers that print a weekly horoscope.

Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need
plural verbs. My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.

See the section on Plurals for additional help with subject-verb agreement.

The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are

always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

 Everyone has done his or her homework.

  Somebody has left her purse.

Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending on
what they're referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful
choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns.

 Some of the beads are missing.

 Some of the water is gone.

On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or
plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb — unless
something else in the sentence determines its number. (Writers generally think
of none as meaning not any and will choose a plural verb, as in "None of the engines
are working," but when something else makes us regard none as meaning not one, we
want a singular verb, as in "None of the food is fresh.")

 None of you claims responsibility for this incident?

 None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
 None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the
word their precludes the use of the singular verb.

Some indefinite pronouns are particularly

troublesome Everyone and everybody (listed above, also) certainly feel like
more than one person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a plural
verb with them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a
prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confusing the
verb choice. Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb.

Everyone has finished his or her homework.

You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular and
nothing will change that.

Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.

Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always
singular — Each is responsible.

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same
as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the
earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the
word and would do).

 The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.

 The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even
though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

 Neither of the two traffic lights is working.

 Which shirt do you want for Christmas?
Either is fine with me.

In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these
pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is particularly
true of interrogative constructions: "Have either of you two clowns read the
assignment?" "Are either of you taking this seriously?" Burchfield calls this "a clash
between notional and actual agreement."*

The conjunction or does not conjoin (as and does): when nor or or is used
the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Whether
the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't matter; the proximity
determines the number.

 Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.

 Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.
 Are either my brothers or my father responsible?
 Is either my father or my brothers responsible?

Because a sentence like "Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house"
sounds peculiar, it is probably a good idea to put the plural subject closer to the verb
whenever that is possible.

The words there and here are never subjects.

 There are two reasons [plural subject] for this.

 There is no reason for this.
 Here are two apples.

With these constructions (called expletive constructions), the subject follows the verb
but still determines the number of the verb.
 Verbs in the present tense for third-person, singular subjects (he, she, it and
anything those words can stand for) have s-endings. Other verbs do not
add s-endings.

He loves and she loves and they love_ and . . . .

Sometimes modifiers will get betwen a subject and its verb, but these
modifiers must not confuse the agreement between the subject and its verb.

The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on
four counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several
political lives, is finally going to jail.

Sometimes nouns take weird forms and can fool us into thinking they're
plural when they're really singular and vice-versa. Consult the section on
the Plural Forms of Nouns and the section on Collective Nouns for
additional help. Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and scissors are
regarded as plural (and require plural verbs) unless they're preceded the phrase pair
of (in which case the word pair becomes the subject).

 My glasses were on the bed.

 My pants were torn.
 A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.

Some words end in -s and appear to be plural but are really singular and
require singular verbs.

 The news from the front is bad.

 Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.

On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are nonetheless
plural and require a plural verb.

 My assets were wiped out in the depression.

 The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.
 Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.

The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami
Heat have been looking … , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … . See
the section on pluralsfor help with this problem.

Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority
of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning.
(The same is true, of course, when all, any, more, most and some act as subjects.)
Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular and require
singular verbs. The expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb:
"More than one student has tried this."

 Some of the voters are still angry.

 A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
 Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
 Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
 Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
 Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.
 Two and two is four.
 Four times four divided by two is eight.

If your sentence compounds a positive and a negative subject and one is

plural, the other singular, the verb should agree with the positive subject.

 The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on
Valentine's Day.
 It is not the faculty members but the president who decides this issue.
 It was the speaker, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.