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Scholarly Writing
Clear writing requires subject-verb agreement, meaning the doer (subject) matches the action (verb).
She writes every day.
Subject = She (singular)
Verb = Writes (singular)
They write every day.
Subject = They (plural)
Verb = Write (plural)
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When using the singular "they," use plural verb forms.
The participant expressed satisfaction with their job. They are currently in a managerial role at the organization.
In the second sentence, although "they" refers to the “participant” (singular), the plural verb form "are" is still used. This is an important exception to the basic subject-verb agreement rules.
Sometimes, however, it is more complicated. Real-world writing often includes more complex sentence structures and specific types of nouns that can make subject-verb agreement more challenging.
Subjects joined by "and"
person add person
When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by “and,” use a plural verb.
The doctoral student and the committee members write every day.
There are two different subjects joined by “and”:
Because they’re joined by “and,” they form a compound subject that indicates multiple people performing an action. Therefore, the plural verb “write” should be used instead of “writes.”
Multiple singular subjects joined by "or/nor"
person sync_alt person
Because they’re joined by "or," only one person is taking action. Therefore, the singular verb "approves" should be used instead of "approve."
The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.
There are two singular subjects joined by “or”:
Subjects with singular and plural nouns joined by "or/nor"
person sync_alt supervisor_account
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 closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.
The student or the committee members write every day.
There are two different subjects joined by “or”:
"Committee members" is the subject closest to the verb (“write”). “Committee members” is plural, so the verb should also be plural.
Multiple verbs must all agree with their subject.
When there is one subject and more than one verb, the verbs throughout the sentence must agree with the subject.
Interviews are one way to collect data and allow researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of participants.
There is one subject = “Interviews” (plural)
This subject has two verbs:
Ignore intervening phrases when matching verbs to subjects.
When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, remember that the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence.
Strategies that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation include using small groups and clarifying expectations.
The main subject is “Strategies” (plural), and the main verb is “include” (plural). The intervening phrase (“that the teacher uses to encourage classroom participation”) does not impact the agreement.
For sentences starting with “there is/are,” the verb agrees with what follows.
In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are," the subject follows the verb. Because "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.
There is little administrative support
“There” is not the subject of this sentence. The subject is “administrative support,” which is singular. Therefore, the verb “is” should be singular.
An indefinite pronoun refers to one or more unspecific persons or things. Instead of naming a particular person, place, or thing, it refers to them in a general, non-specific way. These words and phrases are singular and require a singular verb.
Example
No one was available to meet with me at the preferred times.
The subject “No one” is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular. Therefore, the verb “was” should be singular.
Noncount nouns are words that can't be counted or divided into individual units - like education, research, or information. They’re treated as singular units in English and take singular verbs.
Examples
Education is the key to success.
The research I found on the topic was limited.
In each of these examples, the subjects (“education” and “research”) are noncount nouns - you can't have “two educations” or “three researches.” Therefore, they require singular verbs (“is” and “was”), even though they might represent broad concepts.
Count nouns can be separated into individual units and counted. They usually have both a singular and a plural form. However, some countable nouns in English such as “earnings,” “goods,” “odds,” “surroundings,” “proceeds,” “contents,” and “valuables” only have a plural form and take a plural verb.
The earnings for this quarter exceed expectations. The proceeds from the sale go to support the homeless population in the city.
In each of these examples, the subjects (“earnings” and “proceeds”) are count nouns with only plural forms. Therefore, they require plural verbs (“exceed” and “go”).
Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and take a singular verb. Some examples are “group,” “team,” “committee,” “family,” and “class.”
The group meets every week.
The committee agrees on the quality of the writing.
In each of these examples, the subjects (“group” and “committee”) are collective nouns that are considered singular, even though they represent multiple people acting as one unit. Therefore, they require singular verbs (“meets” and “agrees”).
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