Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb Agrement, termed concord, refers to the grammatical rule whereby the verb form corresponds correctly to the subject in both number and person. The verb must agree with the subject, not with words that come between them. This agreement is governed by both number and person. Though most vital is the present tense, subject-verb agreement governs all tense structures to maintain grammatical integrity.

Subject-Verb Agreement, also known as subject-verb concord, is the fundamental grammatical rule that the verb in a sentence must match its subject in number (singular or plural).

In simple terms:

1. A singular subject requires a singular verb.

2. A plural subject requires a plural verb.

The mechanism is an inverted relationship between the subject and the verb.

Nouns (Subjects): You add an -s to make a noun plural (e.g., cat \cats).

Verbs: You add an -s to make a verb singular (e.g., eat \ eats).

1. The Trap of Intervening Phrases

The most common mistake is letting words that come between the subject and the verb confuse you. The verb must always agree with the main subject, ignoring any prepositional phrases.

2. Compound Subjects

Subjects joined by 'and' are plural.

Mary and I are going to the concert.

Subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor' agree with the closest subject.

Neither the students nor the teacher knows the answer. (The singular teacher is closest.)

3. Indefinite Pronouns

Words that refer to an unspecified person or thing (e.g., each, everyone, anybody, no one) are always singular.

Everyone is expected to arrive on time.
Each of the candidates was interviewed separately.

4. Special Plural Nouns

Some nouns that end in -s (like academic subjects or diseases) are actually singular in meaning.

News is broadcast every hour.
Mathematics is a required course.

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Major rules of "Subject - Verb Agreement"

Rule I: Singular Subject → Singular Verb

Examples:

1) The child enjoys music.

2) He speaks with confidence.

3) The manager approves of the proposal.

Rule 2: Plural Subject → Plural Verb

Examples:

1) The students submit their assignments on time.

2) They write clearly and legibly.

3) The delegates arrive early for the meeting.

In Compound Subjects

Rule 3:

A. Subjects joined by 'and' → Plural Verb

Examples:

1) Mohan and Rohan have passed.

2) He and I are friends.

3) Time and tide wait for none.

4) Courage and patience are required for this task.

B. When two nouns are joined by “and" but refer to the same person or idea, the verb is singular.

This usually happens when there is only one article “the" before the first noun.

Examples:

1) The poet and philosopher is respected worldwide.

2) The owner and manager of the company is very experienced.

3) The captain and coach of the team is giving a press conference.

C. When “the” is used before each noun, it refers to two different people or ideas, so the verb is plural.

Examples:

1) The poet and the philosopher are being honoured separately.

2) The owner and the manager of the hotel are in a meeting.

3) The captain and the coach of the team are discussing strategies.

Rule 4: When subjects are joined by ‘or', 'nor', either...or', or 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it. Verb agrees with the subject nearest to it.

Examples:

1) Either the manager or the assistants are at fault. ( Near to the verb)

2) Neither the books nor the pen is on the desk.

Rule 5:

When subjects are joined by phrases like “as well as", “along with"”, “together with” The verb agrees with the main subject, not the addition.

Examples:

1) The professor, along with his assistants, is conducting the research.

(Main Subject - along with)

2) The director, as well as the actors, has arrived.

Rule 6:

a, When a collective noun acts as a single unit, a singular verb is used.

(Here, the group acts together as one.)

Examples:

1) The jury has delivered its verdict.

2) The team is celebrating its victory.

b. When a collective noun refers to individuals acting separately, a plural verb is used.

(Here, the members are acting independently within the group)

Examples:

1) The jury were divided in their opinions.

2) The team are arguing among themselves.

Rule 7:

Nouns with Plural Form but Singular Meaning

a. News, mathematics, politics → Singular verb

Examples:

1) Politics plays a vital role in governance.

2) Statistics is an interesting subject.

b. Instruments, clothes, tools (e.g,, trousers, binoculars) > Plural verb

Examples:

1) These scissors are quite sharp.

2) His trousers need to be ironed.

3) My binoculars were left on the windowsill.

Rule 8:

Quantities and Measurements: Treated as singular when considered a unit.

Examples:

1) Twenty litres of fuel is enough for the journey.

2) Three hours of discussion, was exhausting.

Rule 9:

Relative Pronouns: Verb agrees with the noun before the relative pronoun:

Examples:

1) She is one of the few who know the truth.

2) I am the one who is always on time.

Rule 10: Avoiding Proximity Errors: Verb must agree with the actual subject, not the

nearest noun.

Examples:

1) The results of the experiment was surprising.(incorrect)

2) The results of the experiment was surprising. (correct)

3) The results of the experiment were surprising.

Exercise

The child enjoys music. (enjoy/enjoys)
He speaks with confidence. (speaks/speak)
The students submit their assignments on time. (submits/submit)
They write clearly and legibly. (writes/write)
The baby cried all night. (cry/cries/cried) Assuming simple past tense for a specific event.
He reads a novel every month. (reads/read)
My uncle visits us every summer. (visit/visits)
It was raining heavily when we left the stadium. (rains/was raining)
She said that she knew the answer. (knows/knew)
Everybody enjoys classical music. (enjoys/enjoy)
Each of the candidates is eligible. (is/are)
Each of the players was awarded a medal. (was/were)
The news was shocking. (was/were)
Mathematics is my favourite subject. (is/are)
Fifty thousand rupees is a large sum. (is/are)
Five kilometres is a long walk. (is/are)
A bouquet of roses was kept on the table. (was/were)
Bread and butter is served fresh. (is/are)
The chairman and the secretary have arrived. (have/has)
Shetty and his brothers have gone for a movie. (has/have)
My parents have lived in Delhi for a decade. (has lived/have lived)
The boys, as well as their teacher, were on time. (was/were)
My friend, as well as his parents, was invited. (is/are/was)
The teacher, along with her students, has gone on a trip. (has/have)
The manager, along with his team, has reached the venue. (has/have)
My friend and guide always is by my side. (is/are)
The committee has issued its report. (has/have)
The panel is divided in their opinions. (are/is)
'Great Expectations' is a famous novel. (is/are)
'The Chronicles of Narnia' has enchanted many readers. (have/has)
The list of participants is on the table. (is/are)
Either the manager or the assistants are at fault. (is/are)
Neither Ravi nor his friends are coming today. (is/are)
Neither the books nor the pen is on the desk. (is/are)

35. Neither the pen nor the pencils are in the bag. (Is/are)

36.This is the only one of the documents that is missing. (Is/are)

37.She is one of those rare individuals who inspire others.(Inspire/inspires)

38.The poet and the philosopher are dead. (is/are)

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In English, when two titles or roles are connected by and but are preceded by only one article (the), they refer to a single person.

Singular: The poet and philosopher is dead. (One person holds both roles.)
Plural: The poet and the philosopher are dead. (Two different people.)

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