Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Subject-Verb Agreement

Basic Rules

• 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.

Special Cases

• 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)

Exceptions

• 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)

Common Errors

• 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

Subject-Verb Agreement

Basic Rules

• 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.

Special Cases

Indefinite Pronouns

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

Compound Subjects

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

Exceptional Nouns

Singular Nouns that Look Plural

• Nouns like news, physics, measles, and mumps take singular verbs.

Plural Nouns that Look Singular

• Nouns like data, media, and criteria take plural verbs.

Exceptions

Linking Verbs

• Linking verbs like be, seem, and 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, or that) in relative clauses.

Common Errors

Singular Nouns with Plural Verbs

• Avoid using plural verbs with singular nouns.

Lack of Parallel Structure

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

Person Agreement in Grammar

Definition and Rules

• 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)

Exceptions to the Rules

• 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)

Learn the basic rules and special cases of subject-verb agreement, including singular and plural subjects, collective nouns, and indefinite pronouns.