Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Study Notes

A singular subject takes a singular verb.
A plural subject takes a plural verb.
A singular noun takes a singular verb, even if it refers to a plural noun (e.g. "the team is").
A collective noun (e.g. family, team) takes a singular verb.

Indefinite pronouns:
- Singular: someone, something, everyone, everything
- Plural: many, few, several
Compound subjects:
- Joined by "and": plural verb
- Joined by "or" or "nor": verb agrees with the closest subject
Singular nouns that look plural:
- News, physics, measles, mumps (take a singular verb)
Plural nouns that look singular:
- Data, media, criteria (take a plural verb)

Linking verbs: be, seem, appear (agree with the subject complement)
Intervening phrases: ignore phrases that come between the subject and verb when determining agreement
Relative clauses: the verb agrees with the relative pronoun (who, which, that)

Singular nouns with plural verbs: incorrect use of plural verbs with singular nouns
Lack of parallel structure: inconsistent verb form in compound subjects or lists

Singular subjects take singular verbs, while plural subjects take plural verbs.
Singular nouns, including those that refer to plural nouns, take singular verbs.
Collective nouns, such as family or team, take singular verbs.

Singular indefinite pronouns include someone, something, everyone, and everything.
Plural indefinite pronouns include many, few, and several.

Compound subjects joined by "and" take plural verbs.
Compound subjects joined by "or" or "nor" take verbs that agree with the closest subject.

Ignore phrases that come between the subject and verb when determining agreement.

The verb agrees with the relative pronoun (who, which, or that) in relative clauses.

Ensure consistent verb form in compound subjects or lists to maintain parallel structure.

Person agreement is a type of subject-verb agreement based on the person of the subject (first, second, or third person)
First person singular (I) verbs end in -s (e.g., I am, I write)
Second person singular (you) verbs end in -s (e.g., you are, you write)
Third person singular (he, she, it) verbs end in -s (e.g., he is, she writes, it runs)
First person plural (we) verbs do not end in -s (e.g., we are, we write)
Second person plural (you) verbs do not end in -s (e.g., you are, you write)
Third person plural (they) verbs do not end in -s (e.g., they are, they write)

Singular nouns that are plural in form use a plural verb (e.g., news is, physics are)
Collective nouns use a singular verb when the group is considered as a unit (e.g., the family is) and a plural verb when individual members are emphasized (e.g., the family are)