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Subject-Verb Agreement Basics

Clear writing requires subject-verb agreement, meaning the doer (subject) matches the action (verb).

If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. 

person

She writes every day.

  • Subject = She (singular)

  • Verb = Writes (singular)

If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. 

supervisor_account

They write every day.

  • Subject = They (plural)

  • Verb = Write (plural)

Exception

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.

Complex Subject-Verb Agreement Patterns

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.

Compound Subjects

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. 

Example
Two Subjects

The doctoral student and the committee members write every day. 

There are two different subjects joined by “and”: 

  1. The doctoral student (singular)
  2. The committee members (plural)

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."

Example
Two Singular Subjects

The chairperson or the CEO approves the proposal before proceeding.

There are two singular subjects joined by “or”:

  1. The chairperson (singular)
  2. The CEO (singular)

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.” 

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.

Example
Rule of Proximity

The student or the committee members write every day.

There are two different subjects joined by “or”:

  1. The student (singular)
  2. The committee members (plural)

"Committee members" is the subject closest to the verb (“write”). “Committee members” is plural, so the verb should also be plural.

Complex Sentence Structures

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.

Example
Multiple Verbs

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:

  • “are” (plural)
  • “allow” (plural)

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.

Example
Intervening Phrases

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.

Example
There is/are

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.

 

Special Types of Nouns and Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns take singular verbs.

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.

  • Indefinite pronouns include: “each,” “each one,” “either,” “neither,” “everyone,” “everybody,” “anyone,” “anybody,” “nobody,” “somebody,” “someone,” and “no one.”

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 take a singular verb.

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.

Some countable nouns are only plural and take plural verbs.

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.

Examples

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 take singular verbs.

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.”

Examples

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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