SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

GRAMMAR AID

THE RULES: Don’t ask why; It’s just the way it is!

SINGULAR PLURAL VERB RULE TO LIVE BY…

VERB
Every man, woman, Every and Each are ALWAYS
and child needs followed by singular nouns if they
love. go immediately after and the verb is
Each book is listed SINGULAR.
in the card catalog.
One of my friends is One of, each of, and every one of
here. are followed by plural nouns.
Each of my friends is HOWEVER, the verb is SINGULAR.
here.
Every one of my
friends is here.

That book on The ideas in that book are A phrase or clause may separate
political parties is interesting. the subject from the verb, but this
interesting. does NOT change the basic subject
My dog, as well as verb agreement.
my cats, likes cat
food.
Growing flowers is A gerund used as the subject
her hobby. requires a singular verb.
Some of the book is Some of the books are In most expressions of quantity,
good. good. the verb is determined by the noun
Two-thirds of the Two-thirds of the pennies or pronoun that follows of.
money is mine. of mine.
None of the boys is None of the boys are here. Considered singular in formal
here. None of the money is English, accepted as both. If the
yours. noun is non-count or singular, THE
VERB MUST BE SINGULAR ONLY.
1. The number of 2. A number of students 1. Subject is number. 2. Subject is
students is 15. were late. an expression of quantity –
followed by a plural noun.
The United States is Singular Pronouns ending in –s.
big.
Sears is a
department store.
News is interesting. Non-count singular subject.
Statistics is difficult. Singular fields of study: require
singular verb
Diabetes is a Illnesses, despite ending in “s,” are
disease. singular.
Eight hours of sleep Expressions of time, money, and
is enough. distance are usually singular.
Ten dollars is too
much.
Five miles is too far.
Two and two is Arithmetic expressions require
four. singular verbs.
PEOPLE, POLICE, Plural nouns that require plural
CATTLE verbs.
1. English is a hard 2. The English drink tea. 1. One subject
language. 2. The Chinese are 2. A group of people
2. Chinese is his disciplined.
native language.
The poor, the elderly, the Adjectives preceded by THE are
rich, the dead, the deaf, the used as a plural noun to refer to a
disabled, etc. ARE group of people.
There are twenty THERE + BE is called an expletive. It
students in class. has no meaning as a vocabulary
There is a fly in my word. It introduces the idea that
soup. something exists in a particular
place.
PATTERN: There + be + subject +
expression of place
There is a book on There are some books on The subject follows BE when THERE
the shelf. SINGULAR the shelf. PLURAL is used.