Definition
Subject–Verb Agreement means that the verb must agree with its subject in number and person.
🔹 Rule 1 Singular Subject → Singular Verb
- Use a singular verb with a singular subject.
Singular Subjects ➤ Alex, book, Mexico, he, she, it
Singular Verbs ➤ base verb + s / es
Singular Helping Verbs ➤ is, does, was, has
❌ Max speak the truth.
✅ Max speaks the truth.
❌ He do not waste his time.
✅ He does not waste his time.
🔹 Rule 2 Plural Subject → Plural Verb
- Use a plural verb with a plural subject.
Plural Subjects ➤ boys, books, countries, you, we, they
Plural Verbs ➤ base form (no s)
Plural Helping Verbs ➤ are, do, were, have
❌ Children likes chocolate.
✅ Children like chocolate.
❌ They does not tell a lie.
✅ They do not tell a lie.
🔹 Rule 3 Verb Agrees with the Main Subject (Ignore Extra Words)
When subjects are joined with words like:
with, along with, together with, as well as, except, but, besides, accompanied by, of, containing, like, unlike etc.
Verb agrees with the first/main subject.
❌ The teacher, along with the students, are present.
✅ The teacher, along with the students, is present.
❌ The quality of the mangoes are good.
✅ The quality of the mangoes is good.
🔹 Rule 4 Prepositional Phrases Do Not Affect the Verb
Ignore phrases starting with of, in, on, with, etc.
❌ The books on the table is mine.
✅ The books on the table are mine.
(“on the table” does not affect the verb.)
🔹 Rule 5 Either/Neither/Or → Follow Nearest Subject
With either–or, neither–nor, not only–but also, or, the verb agrees with the second subject.
❌ Either the heat or chemicals was used to kill the germs.
✅ Either the heat or chemicals were used to kill the germs.
❌ Not only the book but also the notes is available.
✅ Not only the book but also the notes are available.
Inversion Note:
When a sentence starts with “Not only”, we use inversion.
This means the helping verb comes before the subject (like a question form).
❌ Not only he wastes time, but he also disturbs others.
✅ Not only does he waste time, but he also disturbs others.
🔹 Rule 6 “And” = One Idea → Singular Verb
If two nouns express one idea, use singular verb.
❌ Bread and butter are difficult to earn.
✅ Bread and butter is difficult to earn.
❌ Honour and glory are his reward.
✅ Honour and glory is his reward.
❌ The rise and fall of the tide are uncertain.
✅ The rise and fall of the tide is uncertain.
❌ The horse and carriage have arrived.
✅ The horse and carriage has arrived.
🔹 Rule 7 “And” = Two Things → Plural Verb
If they refer to different things, use plural verb.
❌ He and I am good friends.
✅ He and I are good friends.
❌ Oil and water does not mix.
✅ Oil and water do not mix.
🔹 Rule 8 One Article → One Person → Singular Verb
If two nouns share one article/determiner, they refer to one person.
❌ A teacher and scholar are present in the hall.
✅ A teacher and scholar is present in the hall.
❌ My cousin and friend help me.
✅ My cousin and friend helps me.
🔹 Rule 9 Two Articles → Two Persons → Plural Verb
If each noun has its own article/determiner, use plural verb.
❌ The teacher and the scholar is present in the hall.
✅ The teacher and the scholar are present in the hall.
❌ My cousin and my friend is kind.
✅ My cousin and my friend are kind.
🔹 Rule 10 “One of” → Singular Verb
After one of, use plural noun + singular verb.
❌ One of the boys always come late.
✅ One of the boys always comes late.
🔹 Rule 11 Relative Pronoun (who/which/that)
The verb agrees with the antecedent (the noun before the relative pronoun).
Special Case:
“One of the + plural noun + who” → plural verb
❌ She is one of the students who works hard.
✅ She is one of the students who work hard.
(who → refers to students, not one)
❌ It is I who is responsible for this accident.
✅ It is I who am responsible for this accident.
(who → refers to I)
Quick Trick:
Look before “who/which/that” → that noun decides the verb
🔹 Rule 12 “The only one” → Singular Verb
When the sentence has “the only one of the + plural noun + who/that”,
the verb agrees with “the only one” (singular).
❌ He is the only one of the students who like coffee.
✅ He is the only one of the students who likes coffee.
Quick Trick:
“Only one” = singular → verb will be singular
🔹 Rule 13 Percentage / Fraction / Majority
The verb agrees with the noun after “of”.
Key Idea:
- If the noun after of is plural → use plural verb
- If the noun after of is singular/uncountable → use singular verb
❌ 21% of the population live in villages.
✅ 21% of the population lives in villages.
(population = singular)
❌ A majority of the students is diligent.
✅ A majority of the students are diligent.
(students = plural)
🔹 Rule 14 Time, Money, Distance → Singular
When time, money, or distance is treated as a single unit, it takes a singular verb.
❌ Twenty years are a long career.
✅ Twenty years is a long career.
❌ Fifty thousand dollars are a large amount.
✅ Fifty thousand dollars is a large amount.
❌ Ten miles are a long distance.
✅ Ten miles is a long distance
🔹 Rule 15 Nationality Words Used as Plural Subjects
Words like “the French,” “the English,” refer to a group of people and always take a plural verb.
❌ The French is known for their culture.
✅ The French are known for their culture.
🔹 Rule 16 Nominal (The + Adjective) = Plural People
When we use “the + adjective”, it represents a group of people, so we use a plural verb.
Formula:
the + adjective = plural people → plural verb
❌ The poor is helpless.
✅ The poor are helpless.
❌ The brave is respected.
✅ The brave are respected.
Note:
Some “the + adjective” words take a singular verb.
Examples:
• The accused was summoned in the court.
• The deceased was buried yesterday.
🔹 Rule 17 Phrases as Subjects Take Singular Verbs
A phrase (group of words) used as a singular subject takes a singular verb.
Examples:
❌ Reading novels are my hobby.
✅ Reading novels is my hobby.
❌ To tell lies are a bad habit.
✅ To tell lies is a bad habit.
Note:
“Reading novels” and “to tell lies” are phrases acting as singular subjects, so they take a singular verb.
🔹 Rule 18 Noun Clauses as Subjects Take Singular Verbs
A noun clause used as a subject takes a singular verb.
❌ That she likes me annoy you.
✅ That she likes me annoys you.
❌ Why boys fail are alarming.
✅ Why boys fail is alarming.
Note:
“That she likes me” and “why boys fail” are noun clauses acting as singular subjects, so they take a singular verb.
🔹 Rule 19 Here / There Structure
In sentences beginning with here or there,
➤ the verb comes before the subject (inversion)
➤ and the verb agrees with the real subject
Key Point:
- There is → one thing
- There are → more than one thing
❌ Here come the bus.
✅ Here comes the bus.
❌ There is a pool and a lawn in the villa.
✅ There are a pool and a lawn in the villa.
🔹 Rule 20 Inversion with Adverbs of Emphasis
When certain negative or limiting adverbs/phrases (e.g., never, seldom, rarely, hardly, scarcely, no sooner, not only, little, under no circumstances, only) come at the beginning of a sentence, we use inversion (auxiliary verb comes before the subject).
❌ Never again I will call you.
✅ Never again will I call you.
❌ Seldom I disrespect my teachers.
✅ Seldom do I disrespect my teachers.
Tip:
Structure becomes: Adverb + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb
Additional Note:
Inversion is also used for emphasis, especially when a phrase is placed at the beginning.
The verb agrees with the real subject that comes after the verb.
❌ In him was centred their love and their ambition.
✅ In him were centred their love and their ambition
🔹 Rule 21 “A number of” vs “The number of”
- A number of/ a variety of + plural noun → plural verb
- The number of / the variety of + plural noun → singular verb
❌ A large number of students is absent today.
✅ A large number of students are absent today.
❌ The number of students are increasing.
✅ The number of students is increasing.
🔹 Rule 22 “Many a” vs “A good many”
- Many a + singular noun → singular verb
- A good many + plural noun → plural verb
❌ Many a boy want success.
✅ Many a boy wants success.
❌ A good many boys wants success.
✅ A good many boys want success.
🔹 Rule 23 Subject–Verb Agreement with “More than one” and “More than one of…”
- More than one + singular noun → singular verb
- But “More than one of + plural noun” → verb agrees with the noun after “of”
❌ More than one person were invited.
✅ More than one person was invited.
❌ More than one of the books was reviewed.
✅ More than one of the books were reviewed.
🔹 Rule 24 Nouns Ending in “-s” but Singular
Use singular verbs or singular helping verbs after these nouns ending at ‘s’.
(General words) news, innings, series, wages (reward), dynamics, the United Nations, upstairs, summons
(Subjects) linguistics, mathematics, statistics, genetics, politics, physics, ethics etc.
(Disease) measles, aids, rabies, mumps, yaws etc.
(Sports) gymnastics, darts, billiards, athletics etc.
(Books) Gulliver’s Travels, Three Musketeers, the Arabian Nights etc.
(Countries) the West Indies, the United States, the Netherlands
❌ Wages of sin are hell.
✅ Wages of sin is hell.
❌ Mathematics are an interesting subject.
✅ Mathematics is an interesting subject.
Special Plural Nouns: Meaning-Based Verb Agreement
- If wages means income → use plural verb
✔ The wages were distributed among the laborers.
- If mathematics means calculations → use plural verb
✔ His mathematics are weak.
- If ethics means morals → use plural verb
✔ Ethics are important for a good society.
- If statistics means data → use plural verb
✔ Statistics show that crime rates have fallen.
- If politics means political views/activities → use plural verb
✔ His politics are dirty.
🔹 Rule 25 Agreement with ‘means’
“Means”
- When “means” = method/way → takes a singular verb
❌ The best means of success are hard work.
✅ The best means of success is hard work.
- When “means” = financial resources → takes a plural verb
❌ His means is limited.
✅ His means are limited.
🔹 Rule 26 Plural Nouns Taking Plural Verbs
Some nouns are always plural in meaning and take a plural verb.
List: police, people, cattle, gentry, folk(people), vermin (insects or animals) poultry, clergy(priests)
❌ The police is investigating.
✅ The police are investigating.
❌ The cattle is grazing.
✅ The cattle are grazing.
❌ The people is protesting.
✅ The people are protesting.
❌ The folk of the village is very kind.
✅ The folk of the village are very kind.
❌ Vermin is spreading disease.
✅ Vermin are spreading disease.
🔹 Rule 27 Always Plural Objects
Some objects that have two parts are always treated as plural and take a plural verb.
Examples: glasses, scissors, trousers
❌ These glasses is mine.
✅ These glasses are mine.
❌ The scissors is sharp.
✅ The scissors are sharp.
❌ His trousers is new.
✅ His trousers are new.
🔹 Rule 28 “A Pair of” + Plural Noun
When we use “a pair of” before plural objects (like glasses, scissors, trousers), the verb agrees with “pair”, not the object.
So, use a singular verb.
❌ A pair of glasses were stolen.
✅ A pair of glasses was stolen.
❌ A pair of trousers are missing.
✅ A pair of trousers is missing.
🔹 Rule 29 Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns always take a singular verb.
Examples: luggage, baggage, equipment
❌ His luggage were lost.
✅ His luggage was lost.
❌ The equipment are new.
✅ The equipment is new.
🔹 Rule 30 “Hair” vs “Hairs”
- Hair (uncountable) → takes a singular verb
❌ Her hair are long.
✅ Her hair is long.
- Hairs (countable) → takes a plural verb
❌ Two white hairs is visible.
✅ Two white hairs are visible.
🔹 Rule 31 Collective Nouns
Use a singular verb when a collective noun
(team, class, family, committee, jury, army, government, audience, etc.)
refers to a single unit.
❌ The committee have issued its report.
✅ The committee has issued its report.
Note:
Use a plural verb when the collective noun refers to individual members or shows disunity/disagreement.
❌ The committee was divided in their opinions.
✅ The committee were divided in their opinions.
Note: Verbs like agree, decide, unite take singular verbs when the group acts as one unit.
• The committee agrees on this issue.
• The team has decided to play.
🔹 Rule 32 Indefinite Pronouns (Singular)
Some indefinite pronouns always take a singular verb.
Common Examples:
one, everyone, someone, anyone, no one, another, anybody, somebody, nobody, everybody, something, everything etc.
❌ Everyone are happy.
✅ Everyone is happy.
❌ Someone have taken my book.
✅ Someone has taken my book.
Quick Trick:
Indefinite pronoun = always singular → use singular verb
🔹 Rule 33 Distributive Pronouns (Singular)
Distributive pronouns always take a singular verb.
Common Examples:
Each, either, neither
❌ Each of the students are ready for the test.
✅ Each of the students is ready for the test.
❌ Neither of the boys have done homework.
✅ Neither of the boys has done homework.
🔹 Rule 34 Each / Every + Noun + and + Noun → Singular Verb
When each or every is used before two nouns joined by and, the subject is treated as singular, so use a singular verb.
Key Idea:
Each/Every applies separately to both nouns → still singular
❌ Each boy and girl were invited.
✅ Each boy and girl was invited.
Note: When every/each is repeated before two or more nouns, each noun is still treated as singular, so use the singular verb.
❌ Every boy and every girl were invited.
✅ Every boy and every girl was invited.
🔹 Rule 35 “Each” After Subject
When “each” comes after the subject, the verb agrees with the main subject.
❌ They each wants success.
✅ They each want success.
🔹 Rule 36 Always Plural Pronouns
Some pronouns always take a plural verb.
Common Examples:
both, many, few, a few, others, several
Rule:
These pronouns are treated as plural subjects, so use a plural verb.
❌ Many works hard to succeed.
✅ Many work hard to succeed.
❌ Both is ready to go outside.
✅ Both are ready to go outside.
🔹 Rule 37 Agreement with “All”
“All” depends on the noun after it.
- Uncountable noun → singular verb
- Plural noun → plural verb
Examples:
- All the bread is stale.
- All the boys are present.