Subject-Verb Concord

You already know what ‘subject’ and ‘verb‘ are in a sentence. ‘Subject’
is a noun or pronoun that tells us what the sentence talks about and
‘verb’ represents the action in the sentence. Then what is ‘subject verb
concord/agreement’? It means that the subject and verb in a sentence
should agree or match, otherwise the sentence will not sound right.
Let’s understand the basic rules of subject-verb agreement.

Rule 1
The verb and subject must agree in number (singular or plural)

This means that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular
and if the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.

Examples:

1. He plays football. (SINGULAR)

2. They play football. (PLURAL)

Subject-Verb Agreement – Rule 1 [Source: vimeo]

Rule 2
The number of the subject (singular or plural) will not change due
to words/phrases in between the subject and the verb.

Examples:

1. One of the glasses is empty. (Here, since the subject is ‘one’,

the verb should be ‘is’).
2. The bouquet of red roses smells so sweet. (Here, since
‘bouquet’ is the subject and not ‘roses’, the verb should be
‘smells’ and not ‘smell’)
Browse more Topics under Verb

 Introduction to Verbs
 Forms of Verb
 Auxiliary and Modal Verbs
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Transitive and Intransitive Verb
Rule 3
Subjects that are joined by ‘and’ in a sentence, use a plural verb.
Subjects that are joined by ‘either/or’, neither/nor’ use a singular
verb.

Examples:

1. Radha and Meera are coming home.

2. Neither Akshay nor Rohit is coming home.
 3. My dad or my mom is arriving today.
Rule 4
The verb in a sentence containing ‘or’, ‘either/or’, ‘neither/nor’
agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:

1. Neither the shoes nor the bag matches the dress. (Here, ‘bag’
is closest to the verb, hence ‘matches’)
2. Neither the bag nor the shoes match the dress. (Here, ‘shoes’ is
closest to the verb, hence ‘match’)
Rule 5
When the subject is followed by words such as ‘as well as’, ‘along
with’, ‘besides’, ‘not’ etc. ignore them and use a singular verb if the
subject is singular.

Examples:

1. Matt, as well as his dog, is expected shortly.

2. Pratik, along with his brother, is going to school.
Rule 6
In sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, the true subject usually
follows the verb.

Examples:

1. Here are the chocolates.

 2. There is a big puddle on the road.
Rule 7
In sentences that include sums of money, periods of time or
distances etc. (as a unit), use singular verbs.

Examples:

1. 500 rupees is a high price to pay.

2. 62 years is the minimum age of retirement.
3. 10 kilometers is too far to walk.
Rule 8
In the case of words such as ‘a lot of’, all’, ‘some’ etc. in a sentence,
pay attention to the noun after ‘of’. If the noun after ‘of’ is singular
then use a singular verb, if plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:

1. All of the cake is gone.

2. All of the cakes are gone.
3. A lot of the cake is gone.
4. A lot of the cakes are gone.
5. Some of the cake is gone.
6. Some of the cakes are gone.
Rule 9
In the case of collective nouns such as ‘group, ‘population’,
‘family’, in a sentence, the verb can be singular or plural depending
on their use in the sentence.

Examples:

1. Most of my family is here OR are here.

2. Half of the population was against the bill OR were against the
bill.
Rule 10
Nouns such as ‘mathematics’, ‘civics’, ‘news’ etc. while plural in
form, are singular in meaning and use singular verbs.

Examples:

1. Mathematics is very difficult for some people.

2. The news is very saddening.
Rule 11
In sentences that express a wish, request or contrary to fact, the
word ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was.

Examples:

1. I wish my sister were here.

2. Aditya requested that she raise her glass.
Solved Examples for You on Subject Verb
Concord
Question: Choose the correct subject verb combinations in the sentences
below.

a. The lady in the car (look/looks) like your mother.

b. Most of the milk (is/are) gone.
c. One of the flowers (has/have) wilted.
d. Either Ram or Shyam (is/are) coming today.
e. Here (is/are) the newspaper.
f. The group of dancers (is/are) here.
g. Civics (is/are) my favorite subject.
Solution:

a. The lady in the car looks like your mother.

b. Most of the milk is gone.
c. One of the flowers has wilted.
d. Either Ram or Shyam is coming today.
e. Here is the newspaper.
f. The group of dancers is OR are here.
g. Civics is my favorite subject.
Subject–Verb Agreement Rules
Key: subject = yellow, bold; verb = green, underline

Subjects and verbs must agree in number. In addition to the explanations on this page, also
see the post on Subject—Verb Agreement.

1. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too.

Example: She writes every day.

Exception: When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms.
Example: The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in
a managerial role at the organization.

2. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Example: They write every day.

Sometimes, however, it seems a bit more complicated than this.

3. When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns
connected by and, use a plural verb.

Example: The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.
Example: The percentage of employees who called in sick and the number of
employees who left their jobs within 2 years are reflective of the level of job
satisfaction.

4. When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the
sentence must agree with the subject.

Example: Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an
in-depth understanding of participants.
Example: An assumption is something that is generally accepted as true and is an
important consideration when conducting a doctoral study.

5. When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb
still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the
subject of the sentence.

Example: The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.

Example: The student with all the master’s degrees is very motivated.
 Example: Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom
participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.
Example: The focus of the interviews was nine purposively selected participants.

6. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by "or" or "nor," use a
singular verb.

Example: The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

7. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun
joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is
closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.

Example: The student or the committee members write every day.

Example: The committee members or the student writes every day.

8. The words and phrases "each," "each one," "either," "neither," "everyone,"
"everybody," "anyone," "anybody," "nobody," "somebody," "someone," and "no one"
are singular and require a singular verb.

Example: Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.

Example: Neither alternative hypothesis was accepted.
Example: I will offer a $5 gift card to everybody who participates in the study.
Example: No one was available to meet with me at the preferred times.

9. Noncount nouns take a singular verb.

Example: Education is the key to success.

Example: Diabetes affects many people around the world.
Example: The information obtained from the business owners was relevant to
include in the study.
Example: The research I found on the topic was limited.

10. Some countable nouns in English such as earnings, goods, odds, surroundings,
proceeds, contents, and valuables only have a plural form and take a plural verb.

Example: The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations.

Example: The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the
city.
Example: Locally produced goods have the advantage of shorter supply chains.
 11. In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb.
Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.

Example: There is little administrative support.

Example: There are many factors affecting teacher retention.

12. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered
singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are "group," "team," "committee,"
"family," and "class."

Example: The group meets every week.

Example: The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.

However, the plural verb is used if the focus is on the individuals in the group. This is
much less common.
Example: The committee participate in various volunteer activities in their private
lives.
So, these are the major rules of subject-verb agreement. We hope you
understand each and every rule. Now it’s time to test your knowledge. Solve
these questions and let’s see how many of them you get right on the first
go.

1. John and his brother (is/are) playing football.

2. Aryan (do not/does not) like to play basketball.
3. Either of you (have/has) stolen the book.
4. Your pants (is/are) in the top shelf.
5. My family (belongs/belong) to the Mahou tribe.
6. Mr, Swamy as well as his family (is/are) quite humble.
7. Mary (sing/sings) very well.
8. The novel, including all the essays (take/takes) about two hours to read.
9. They (eat/eats) lunch together everyday.
10.The players as well as the coach (want/wants) to win.
11.My parents (lives/live) in Australia.
12.Do anyone (knows/know) where the grocery store is?
13.The little boy (do not/does not) like apples for some reason.
14.Kavita and her sister (is/are) here to see you.
15.You (has/have) brought all that I had asked for.

Answers
1. Is
2. Does not
3. Has
4. Are
5. Belongs
 6. Is
7. Sings
8. Takes
9. Eat
10.Want
11.Live
12.Know
13.Does not
14.Are
15.Have

FAQs