MASTERING SUBJECT-VERB

AGREEMENT
 Mother Earth (be) suffering because of mans
abuse of nature.
God (give) us the freewill to choose between
right and wrong.
He always (do) his work perfectly.

The President always (have) the last say

before a bill becomes a law.

A SINGULAR SUBJECT MUST HAVE A

SINGULAR VERB.
 We (be) expected to support the cleanliness
drive.
Those who will take the LET (attend) review
classes.
Law enforcers (do) their duties promptly.

Children normally (have) short attention

span.

A PLURAL SUBJECT MUST HAVE A

PLURAL VERB.
 The decision of the administrators to postpone the
seminar on garbage segregation (is, are) untimely.
The book which she borrowed from me (was, were)
missing.
Melody, together with her sister, (has, have) plans
to visit Disneyland in Hongkong.
The children, as well their mother, (consult,
consults) the doctor.
Ben and Jun, like their father, (love, loves) to go
hunting.

A PHRASE OR CLAUSE THAT INTERVENES

BETWEEN THE SUBJECT AND ITS VERB DOES
NOT AFFECT THE NUMBER OF THE SUBJECT.
 She is the only one of those girls who (take,
takes) interest in planting trees.
One of the boys who (help, helps) the lady (is,
are) my cousin.
Singing and dancing which (keep, keeps) ones
spirit alive (is, are) good forms of exercise.

THE ANTECEDENT OF A RELATIVE

PRONOUN DETERMINES THE AGREEMENT
WITH ITS VERB.
 Either teacher or student (is, are) not exempted
from waste segregation.
Neither the father nor his son (exemplify,
exemplifies) good virtues.
Nelly or her sister (get, gets) high grades.

The policeman nor the fireman (protect, protects)

properties.

TWO OR MORE SINGULAR SUBJECTS JOINED

BY OR/NOR MUST HAVE A SINGULAR VERB.
 Neither the parents nor the students (is, are)
interested in using plastic materials.
Either the boys or the girls (experience,
experiences) physical and emotional changes.
Men nor women (has, have) some peculiarities.

Apples or carrots (prevent, prevents) cancer.

TWO OR MORE PLURAL SUBJECTS JOINED BY

OR/NOR MUST HAVE A PLURAL VERB.
 Either the government officials or other leaders
(spearhead, spearheads) the campaign to declog the
rivers around Metro Manila.
Neither the television shows nor computer games
(hook, hooks) the attention of many children.
Either the principal or the teachers (play, plays)
important role in molding the learners.
Neither the supervisors nor the superintendent (is,
are) held accountable for the performance of the
pupils.

IF ONE OR MORE SINGULAR SUBJECTS ARE

JOINED TO ONE OR MORE PLURAL SUBJECTS
BY OR/NOR, THE SUBJECT CLOSEST TO THE
VERB DETERMINES THE AGREEMENT.
 A candle and a rosary (is, are) what we need in
order to start the vigil.
The teacher and class adviser of Pauline (is, are)
in her early twenties.
Mary and Joseph (has, have) been chosen by
God to take good care of Jesus.
The secretary and muse of the class (gain,
gains) much popularity.

A COMPOUND SUBJECT JOINED BY AND IS

GENERALLY PLURAL AND MUST HAVE A PLURAL
VERB; EXEMPTION TO THIS RULE TAKES PLACE
WHEN THE SUBJECT REFERS TO THE SAME
PERSON.
 Under the second floor (is, are) the Principals
Office.
At their backyard (lies, lie) a vegetable garden.

Behind bars (is, are) several miserable souls.

Underneath the tree (rest, rests) a tired farmer.

A SUBJECT THAT COMES AFTER ITS VERB

MUST AGREE WITH IT IN NUMBER.
 Fireworks (were, was) the signal to begin the
activity.
The price of good work (is, are) more work.

She (look, looks) better now than when she was

first confined at the hospital.
Sometimes, some children (is, are) more sensible
than adults.

A LINKING VERB MUST AGREE WITH ITS

SUBJECT REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF
ITS PREDICATE NOMINATIVE.
 The committee (hold, holds) a meeting about the
forthcoming activity.
The body (decide, decides) to invite guests from
other municipalities.
The Congress (convene, convenes) to finalize the
annual budget.

A COLLECTIVE NOUN TAKES A SINGULAR VERB WHEN

THE GROUP IT NAMES ACTS AS A SINGLE UNIT. A
COLLECTIVE NOUN TAKES A PLURAL VERB WHEN THE
GROUP IT NAMES ACTS AS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS
WITH DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.
 A number of students (decide, decides) to join
the marathon contest.
The number of teachers (was, were) not enough.

A number of people (vouch, vouches) for his good

character.
The number of enrollees (exceed, exceeds) the
number of rooms available.

THE PHRASE A NUMBER USES A PLURAL

VERB; THE PHRASE THE NUMBER USES A
SINGULAR VERB.
 Measles (is, are) a communicable disease.
Politics (hinder, hinders) our economic growth.

The statistics (present, presents) our alarming

situation.
Economics (is, are) an interesting subject.

NOUNS THAT ARE PLURAL IN FORM BUT

SINGULAR IN MEANING AGREE WITH
SINGULAR VERB.
 Several in the class (excel, excels) in Physics.
Many (are, is) called but few are chosen.

Both (claim, claims) to be the owner of the land.

Everything (is, are) under control.

Everybody (love, loves) to listen to music.

Something (bother, bothers) me.

Nothing in this world (is, are) permanent.

SINGULAR INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (EVERYONE,

SOMEONE, EVERYBODY, NOBODY, EVERYTHING,
SOMETHING, NOTHING, EACH) TAKE SINGULAR VERBS;
PLURAL INDEFINITE PRONOUNS (FEW, BOTH, MANY,
SEVERAL) TAKE PLURAL VERBS.
 Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities (is, are) a
classic.
The Three Musketeers (was, were) an
interesting movie.

A TITLE IS SINGULAR AND MUST HAVE A

SINGULAR VERB.
 Two kilometers (is, are) a long way to go.
Fifteen minutes (is, are) a short time to wait.

Two hundred pesos (is, are) just enough to buy a

shirt.

A NOUN EXPRESSING AN AMOUNT OR

MEASUREMENT IS USUALLY SINGULAR AND
REQUIRES A SINGULAR VERB.
 One-half of the cake (was, were) eaten.
One-half of the cakes (was, were) sold.

Three-fourths of the tomatoes (has, have) been

taken.

FRACTIONS TAKE A SINGULAR OR PLURAL

VERB DEPENDING UPON THE NOUN IN THE
OF-PHRASE.
 Most of the food (was, were) eaten.
None of the tickets (has, have) been left.

All (seem, seems) to be dissatisfied with the oil

price hike.

THE PRONOUN ALL, ANY, MORE, MOST, NONE AND

SOME USUALLY TAKE SINGULAR VERB IF THE
ANTECEDENT IS SINGULAR AND A PLURAL VERB IF
IT IS PLURAL.