Subject-Verb Agreement Basics

Subject-Verb Agreement Basics

• Subject-verb agreement means the verb must agree in number with its subject. Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.
• This is a fundamental grammatical rule in English.
• Incorrect subject-verb agreement can make a sentence grammatically weak or unclear.

Singular Subjects

• Singular subjects often end in -s, -x, or -ch.
• Examples:
  • The cat sleeps.
  • The fox hunts.
  • The church bell tolls.
• Pronouns like "he," "she," "it," and "I" are singular subjects.
• Examples:
  • He runs.
  • She walks.
  • It rains.
  • I am.

Plural Subjects

• Plural subjects typically end in -s or -es.
• Examples:
  • The cats sleep.
  • The foxes hunt.
  • The churches are old.
• Pronouns like "we," "they," and "you" are plural subjects.
• Examples:
  • We run.
  • They walk.
  • You are.

Compound Subjects

• Compound subjects joined by "and" usually take a plural verb.
• Examples:
  • The dog and the cat play.
  • David and James are brothers.
  • Apples and oranges are healthy.

Compound Subjects with "or" or "nor"

• If the compound subject uses "or" or "nor," the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
• Examples:
  • The dog or the cat plays.
  • Neither the dog nor the cats play.
• The subject closest to the verb is crucial.

Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects

• Indefinite pronouns like "each," "every," "neither," "either," "anyone," "everyone," "nobody," and "someone" are singular.
• Examples:
  • Each student does well.
  • Every child wants a toy.
  • Neither of them is.
• Exceptions include "both," "few," "many," "several," which are plural.

Collective Nouns

• Collective nouns (like team, committee, faculty, family) can be singular or plural, depending on the sentence's meaning.
• If the group acts as a single unit, the verb is singular.
• If the members act individually, the verb is plural.
• Examples:
  • The committee agrees. (Acts as one unit)
  • The committee disagree on the matter. (Individual members disagree)

Subjects with Prepositional Phrases

• Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb don't affect the verb's number.
• Example:
  • The girl with the blue dress is tall.
  • The books on the table are old.

Other Considerations

• Verbs ending in -ing (present participles) can also be subjects.
• Treat the participle phrase as singular or plural depending on the subject.
• Examples:
  • Running is a good exercise. (Singular)
  • Jumping on the trampoline are fun for kids. (Plural)
• Ensure subject and verb agree in number, regardless of intervening phrases or sentence elements.

Common Errors and Solutions

• Identifying the core subject is key to correct agreement.
• Be mindful of subjects hidden in prepositional phrases.
• Carefully examine the relationship between subject and verb.