Subject/verb agreement refers to the relationship between a subject and a verb; both must agree in number. A singular subject requires a singular verb. A plural subject requires a plural verb.
In a sentence, a subject can either be a noun, a pronoun, or a noun phrase; it acts as a “who” or “what” performing an action.
Noun: A noun is a person, place, or thing.
Pronoun: A pronoun substitutes for a noun or pronoun phrase. Examples include I, you, we, they, us, them, he, she, who, no one, etc.
Noun phrase: Noun phrases feature nouns with any modifiers, such as adjectives, or determiners, such as articles.
Example:
The fluffy black cat fetches her toy.
The noun “cat” is modified by “fluffy” and “black.”
Example:
My music is the best.
The noun “music” is accompanied by the determiner “my.”
Example:
That squirrel scurried along the branch.
“That” is used to clarify the noun (squirrel).
Verbs typically follow the subject in a sentence and indicate action in regard to the subject. Here are some examples to help (verbs are in bold and subjects are in italics):
Singular subjects will have singular verbs, which typically end in “-s.”
Examples:
- The leaf blows in the wind.
- Wilmer Writing Center opens at 10 a.m. on Mondays.
- My aunt babysits every other Saturday.
Plural subjects will use plural verbs, which don’t typically end in “-s.”
Examples:
- The leaves blow in the wind.
- My favorite writing centers close at 10 p.m. every weekday.
- Ben and Rebecca babysit every other Saturday.
3rd person (she, he, it) singular verbs typically end in “-s.”
Examples:
- Maria writes a lot.
- He spends most of his time outdoors.
- It rains almost every day in the tropical rainforest.
In compound sentences, which include more than one subject, verbs will be plural, and subjects will be connected by “and.” If your subjects are connected with “or,” the verb will agree with the subject it is closest to.
Compound sentences using “and”:
Examples:
- Jennifer and her dog live in Vermont.
- The can of tomatoes and the can of corn sit next to each other on the shelf.
- My pets, Missy, a black lab, and Stripes, a gray cat, play in the yard.
Compound sentences using “or”:
Example:
His older brother or sister usually helps with his homework.
In this example, the base verb “help” agrees with “sister,” the closest subject, so an “-s” is added.
Here is an example with the subjects switched:
Example:
WandaVision or romantic comedies are my favorite things to watch.
In this example, the verb “are” reflects “romantic comedies,” since that subject is closest to the verb.
Romantic comedies or WandaVision is my favorite thing to watch.
In this example, the verb “is” reflects “WandaVision,” since that subject is closest to the verb.
Here are some examples with specific subjects:
The following subjects are singular and will take a singular verb: each, each one, either, neither, everyone, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one.
Examples:
- Everyone takes a shift for the volleyball game.
- Each apple is red.
- Somebody chooses kindness every day.
- No one decides to swim.
- Either works for me.
Some subjects are referred to as noncount nouns, or those that have no measured quantity. Noncount nouns may be concepts, languages, activities, or other generic, uncountable ideas. These nouns will use a singular verb. Here are some examples.
Examples:
- Education is important.
- The game starts soon.
- Chinese is fun to learn.
Collective nouns, or those that refer to more than one person, will require a singular verb.
Example:
- My class studies geography three days a week.
- The band plays during the football game.
- The committee plans to fundraise soon.
- The family enjoys taking vacations together.
For sentences that begin with “There is,” or “There are,” the verb is placed before the subject but agrees with the subject that follows. Here are some examples:
Example:
There are many reasons to smile.
In this example, the subject, “reasons,” is plural, so the verb will also be plural.
Example:
There are limited data to support our theory.
The subject, “data,” is plural, so it will take a plural verb.
Example:
There is my favorite professor.
The subject, “professor,” is singular, so it will take a singular verb.
Example:
There are my favorite professors.
The subject, “professors,” is plural, so it will take a plural verb.
*Remember to be consistent with your verbs when writing in one tense!
Present-Tense
Examples:
- Mark wants to play his new video game but has to finish his homework first.
- It is important to consider a patient’s medical history upon entry to the hospital as it informs doctors of what procedures should take place.
- She walks into the library, trips, and falls.
Past-Tense
Examples:
- Mark wanted to play his new video game but had to finish his homework first.
- As she walked into the library, she tripped and fell.
- The air grew warm as spring transitioned into summer.
Present continuous tense verbs typically end in “-ing,” and refer to actions that have either not yet taken place, or are currently taking place.
Examples:
- Everyone is going to the park.
- She is trying to fix her bike.
- I am planning on cleaning my room eventually.
Works cited:
- “Subject-Verb Agreement Rules.” Walden U.
