Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

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This handout gives you several guidelines to help your subjects and verbs agree.

1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by and, use a plural verb.

She and her friends are at the fair.

2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.

The book or the pen is in the drawer.

3. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb.

The boy or his friends run every day.

His friends or the boy runs every day.

4. Doesn't is a contraction of does not and should be used only with a singular subject. Don't is a contraction of do not and should be used only with a plural subject. The exception to this rule appears in the case of the first person and second person pronouns I and you. With these pronouns, the contraction don't should be used.

He doesn't like it.

They don't like it.

5. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.

One of the boxes is open

The people who listen to that music are few.

The team captain, as well as his players, is anxious.

The book, including all the chapters in the first section, is boring.

The woman with all the dogs walks down my street.

6. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no one are singular and require a singular verb.

Each of these hot dogs is juicy.

Everybody knows Mr. Jones.

Either is correct.

7. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.

The news is on at six.

Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

Five dollars is a lot of money.

Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia.

8. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

These scissors are dull.

Those trousers are made of wool.

9. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows.

There are many questions.

There is a question.

10. Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but that are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as: group, team, committee, class, and family.

The team runs during practice.

The committee decides how to proceed.

The family has a long history.

My family has never been able to agree.

11. Expressions such as with, together with, including, accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

The President, accompanied by his wife, is travelling to India.

All of the books, including yours, are in that box.

Basic Rule	The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb while a plural subject takes a plural verb. The trick is in knowing whether the subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural verb.
	Hint: Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order to determine which verb is singular and which one is plural, think of which verb you would use with he or she and which verb you would use with they.
	Example	talks, talk Which one is the singular form? Which word would you use with he? We say, "He talks." Therefore, talks is singular. We say, "They talk." Therefore, talk is plural.

Rule 1	Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
	Example	My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.

Rule 2	Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in
	Examples	Neither John nor Susan is available.
		Either Kiana or Casey helps today with stage decorations.

Rule 3	When one of your two subjects is I, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.
	Example	Neither she nor I am going to the festival.

Rule 4	When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
	Example	The book or the magazines are on the shelf.

Rule 5	When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
	Example	Neither Jenny nor the others are available.

Rule 6	As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
	Example	A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

Rule 7	Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
	Examples	The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
		Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 8	The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.
	Examples	Each of the girls sings well.
		Every one of the cakes is gone. NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.

Rule 9	With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, etc.—look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb. NOTE: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only.
	Examples	Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared. Pie is the object of the preposition of.
		Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared. Pies is the object of the preposition.
		One-third of the city is unemployed.
		One-third of the people are unemployed. NOTE: Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions.
		All of the pie is gone.
		All of the pies are gone.
		Some of the pie is missing.
		Some of the pies are missing.

Rule 10	When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
	Examples	Neither of them is available to speak right now.
		Either of us is capable of doing the job.

Rule 11	The words here and there are never subjects because they are not nouns. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.
	Examples	There are four hurdles to jump.
		There is a high hurdle to jump.

Rule 12	Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
	Examples	Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
		Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.

Rule 13	Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of the verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
	Examples	Charlene is the scientist who write/writes the reports. The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes.
		He is one of the men who does/do the work. The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.

Rule 14	Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
	Examples	The staff is in a meeting. Staff is acting as a unit here.
		The staff are in disagreement about the findings. The staff are acting as separate individuals in this sentence.
		The sentence would read even better like this: The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.

Where is my subject?

Most likely, your verb will agree with the first noun to the left of the verb:

The Supreme Court judge decides the appropriate penalty.
Subject: judge	Verb: decides

The committee members were satisfied with the resolution.
Subject: members	Verb: were

Occasionally, a sentence has the subject after the verb instead of before it. This strategy is often used for poetic effect.

Over the ripples glides a small canoe.
Subject: a small canoe	Verb: glides

There was a well-known writer at the meeting.
Subject: a well-known writer	Verb: was

You will not find the subject in a modifying phrase (MP), a phrase that starts with a preposition, a gerund, or a relative pronoun and that modifies the meaning of the noun or subject under discussion.

The group of students is going on a field trip.
Subject: the group	MP: of students	Verb: is

The survey covering seven colleges reveals a growth in enrollment.
Subject: the survey	MP: covering seven colleges	Verb: reveals

The speaker whom you saw at the lecture is one of the state senators from Minnesota.
Subject: the speaker	MP: whom you saw at the lecture	Verb: is

If subjects are joined by and, they are considered plural.

The quarterback and the coach are having a conference.
Subject: the quarterback and the coach	Verb: are having

The relative pronouns (who, whom, which, and that) are either singular or plural, depending on the words they refer to.

The sales manager is a good researcher who spends a great amount of time surfing the Web for information.
Subject: the sales manager	Verbs: is, spends

Sales managers are good researchers who spend a great amount of time surfing the Web for information.
Subject: sales managers	Verbs: are, spend

Indefinite pronouns (someone, somebody, each, either one, everyone, or anyone) are considered singular and need singular verbs although they convey plural meaning.

Anyone who wants to pursue higher education has to pass entrance exams.
Subject: anyone	Verbs: wants, has

Everyone on the committee is welcome to express his/her ideas.
Subject: everyone	Verb: is

A few nouns can be either plural or singular, depending on whether they mean a group or separate individuals. These words are rarely used as plurals in modern writing.

The jury is sequestered.
Subject: jury	Verb: is

The jury are having an argument.
Subject: jury	Verb: are having

A few subjects look plural but are really singular or vice versa.

The news of the discovery is spreading.
Subject: news	Verb: is

The mass media have publicized the facts.
Subject: mass media	Verb: have publicized

The data amaze everyone.
Subject: data	Verb: amaze