This document discusses subject-verb agreement rules in English grammar. It provides definitions of subjects and explains that the subject of a sentence determines whether the verb is singular or plural. Key points covered include: - Subjects can be singular or plural nouns, pronouns, phrases or clauses. - Verbs must agree in number with their subjects. - Compound subjects connected by 'and' take a plural verb, while those connected by 'or' or 'nor' can take a singular verb depending on the closest subject. - Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on their meaning in context. - Measurements, proper nouns, and subjects preceded by determiners like 'all'

1. Subject – Verb
Agreement

2. Simple Definition of SUBJECT:
o the person or thing (word or word group) that
is being discussed or described
o a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that performs
the action of a verb in a sentence
Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

3. Making 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.
A clean driving license, sales experience and team spirit are
essential.
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.
Neither he nor his wife is to be seen.

4. The do and does; and play and plays
Singular Plural
I Person I play We play
II Person You play You all play
III Person He/ She plays They play
plays/
does

5. . Fractional expressions such as:
o half of
o a part of
o a percentage of
o a majority of
are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on
the meaning.
Half of this apple is yours.
Half of them are at CCD, LPU.
The same applies to the words, ‘all’, ‘any’, ‘more’, ‘most’,
‘a lot of’ and ‘some’.
All of you are going to be placed in great companies.
All of this material is to be learnt?

6. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular
and require singular verbs.
One plus one is two! Two multiplied by three is six!
The expression, ‘more than one’ takes (strangely enough) a singular
verb:
More than one student has tried this.

7. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
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. Subjects and Verb Forms
Subject Example Form Usage
Compound
Noun
Bread and butter, Rice and dal Singular
Bread and butter is what I have for my
breakfast
Jack and Jim, Cheese and Oregano, Plural Jack and Jim are friends
Plural Nouns
A pair of Spectacles, A pair of pliers Singular A pair of my pants is missing
Spectacles, Scissors, Pliers,
Tweezers, Pants, Trousers, Police
Plural My pants are missing
Collective
nouns
“UNISON”
Committee, Orchestra, Band, Jury,
Class, Crowd, Team
Singular The jury has given its verdict
Members of the jury Plural
The members of the jury have given their
verdicts
Nouns ending
with an ‘s’
Measles, Mathematics, News,
Aesthetics
Singular Economics is an interesting subject
Assets, Earnings Plural
Economics of the project are very doubtful
(Financial/ Economic situation)
Uncountable
Nouns
Sand, Air, Water, Data (Datum),
Information, Machinery
Singular Information is processed data.

9. Subjects and Verb FormsSubject Example Form Usage
Combined with
Conjunctional
phrases
As well as, together with, along with,
as long as, in addition to
Verb takes the form of the
MAIN subject to it
The politician along with his
party men is participating in a
rally
The party men along with their
leader are participating in a rally
Combined with
Correlative
conjunction
“PROXIMITY
RULE”
Neither..nor, Either..or
Conjunction ‘Or ‘ also follows the same rule
Verb takes the form of the
subject closest to it
Either his friends or he is to be
present in the class.
Either he or his friends are to be
present in the class.
Negative and
Positive
compounded
subject
A, not B
Verb takes the form of
POSITIVE subject
It is the chairman, not the
students, who decides the code of
conduct
The students, not the teacher,
are worried about the CA

10. Subjects and Verb Forms
Subject Example Form Usage
Indefinite pronouns
SANE (Someone/Somebody,
Anyone, No one, Everyone)
Singular Everyone in this session is receptive
FABS (Few, All, Both,
Several)
Plural All of you are receptive
None, Most, Some, Half of, x
% of, a third of
Both
Some points of the lecture are interesting
Some part of the lecture is interesting
Infinitives and
Gerunds
To + Verb form is infinitive
To sing, to dance, to cook, to
read, to listen
Verb + ing form is Gerund
Singing, Dancing, Cooking
Singular To sing is my passion
Singing is my passion
Plural
(Compounded
infinitives or
gerunds)
To cook multiple cuisines and to play guitar are my
hobbies
Cooking multiple cuisines and playing guitar are
my hobbies

11. Subjects and Verb Forms
Subject Example Form Usage
Measurements
Time, Distance, Speed,
Currency, Weight
Singular
Two days of off in the weekend is insufficient
Ten kilos of rice is required to cook for fifty people
1000 kilometers is a very long distance

12. No Effect
Prepositional phrases between the subject and
verb usually do not affect agreement.
The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.
Proper nouns ending with an ‘-s’ are treated as
singular.
The Lord of the rings, The Hobbit: The battle of
five armies,

13. Sentences starting with
Here, There
When sentences start with “there” or “here,” the subject will
always be placed after the verb, so care needs to be taken to
identify it correctly.
 There is a problem here
 There are problems everywhere
 Here is your answer script
 Here are those papers you submitted last week

14. Placement of subject and verb in
questions
 Where are your friends?
 Where is your friend?
 What am I supposed to teach?
 Who is he talking to?
 What are you supposed to learn?
 How is the class?
 How are your teachers?

15. Exercises
1. Mary and her lambs (is/ are) at school.
2. Either you or she (is/ are) at fault.
3. The dog or the cats (has/ have) done this.
4. Either my fear or your threats (has/ have) worked.
5. Madhu and Kiran (doesn’t/ don’t) want to go to Chandigarh.
6. Deepti (doesn’t/ don’t) know how to bake a cake.
7. One of her seniors (support/ supports) her always.
8. The lady with all her children (go/ goes) shopping every weekend.
9. The study material, including the free CD, (is/ are) very helpful.
10.The team, as well as the Captain (was/ were) misled.
11.Either mood (is/ are) dangerous.
12.Every one of those officers (is/ are) courageous.
13.Nobody (understand/ understands) the shock I suffered from.
14.(has/ have) the news arrived?
15.Mathematics (is/ are) considered to be more analytical than English!

16. ANSWERS
1.Are
2. Is
3.Have
4.Have
5.Don’t
6.Doesn’t
7.Supports
8.Goes
9.Is
10.Was
11.Is
12.Is
13.Understands
14.Has
15.Is

17. Exercises
16.Twenty rupees (is/ are) the price of a bottle of lemonade.
17.(Is/ Are) the tweezers with you?
18.My pants (has/ have) faded in colour.
19.There (was/ were) so many points I conveyed to you. (Is/ Are) there
even one you remember?
20.The committee (has/ have) been dissolved today.
21.The police (has/ have) a very different private life.
22.The colonel, together with his troops, (march/ marches) towards the
peak.
23.All of the talks, even this one, (has/ have) been recorded.
24.In Srinagar, the leaves of the Chinar trees (change/ changes) colour
almost every season.
25.When it comes to relationships, even a small word or gesture (count/
counts).

18. ANSWERS
16.Is
17.Are
18.Have
19.Were; is
20.Has
21.Have
22.Marches
23.Have
24.Change
25.Counts

19. Exercises
26.Neither of the two (has/ have) agreed to understand.
27.Guided by the voice of my instinct, she always (come/ comes) out with a new
idea.
28.Outside the LPU Main Gate, a number of eating joints (has/ have) come up.
29.For the omnivores, almost everything (is/ are) food.
30.Everyone whose birthday fell last month, (is/ was) gifted flowers by the Head
on the 31st
.
31.One of my closest friends (is/ are) a captain.
32.Each of the soldiers (was/ were) given a gun.
33.Neither of the call operators (was/ were) able to understand his voice.
34.Love and hate (do/ does) not go together.
35.He and I (was/ were) good friends.
36.Slow and steady (win/ wins) the race.

20. ANSWERS
26.Has
27.Comes
28.Have
29.Is
30.Was
31.Is
32.Was
33.Was
34.Do
35.Were
36.Wins

21. Exercises
37.Neither Daddy nor Mummy (has/ have) permitted me to go.
38.No telephonic or electronic message (was/ were) sent to me.
39.Either Gaurav or Prashant (is/ are) the culprit.
40.Niether he nor his children (was/ were) to be seen.
41.Good planning and motivation _______ vital for academic success.
a)is b)are
42. My collection of stamps _______ worth a fortune.
a)Is b)are
43. A large flock of seagulls _______ feeding on the other side of the estuary.
a) Was b)were
44. Neither of these colours really _______ the new living room.
a) suits b) suit

22. ANSWERS
37.Has
38.Was
39.Is
40.Were
41.are
42.Is
43.was
44.suits

23. 45.His single mindedness and a desire to win _______ responsible for
his success.
a)was b)were
46.A large consignment of biscuits _______ been stolen.
a)has b)have
47. A large herd of cows _______ grazing by the river.
a)was b)were
48. A calculator, three pencils and a large book _______ found lying
in the
street.
a) was b) were
49. Either India or Greece ________ like a good holiday destination.
a) seems b)seem

24. ANSWERS
45.were
46.has
47.was
48.were
49.seems

25. Exercises
50. Neither of those essays _______ me want to continue reading.
a) makes b) make
51. Tight organisation and control ________ needed for a good essay.
a) is b) are
52. A large group of young people _______ hanging around on the corner
of the street.
a) was b) were
53.Those strawberries (are/ is) not ready to eat yet. What have you got?
54.Every person in the room (has/ have) eaten a piece of the fruit cake.
55.Each guest, no matter how late it is, (has/ have) to have a ticket.
56.Washing up (take/ takes) a long time without hot water.
57.Using washing-up liquid (make/ makes) it a lot easier.

26. ANSWERS
50.makes
51.are
52.was
53.are
54.has
55.has
56.takes
57.makes

27. Exercises
58. Volleyball is one of the teams here that WIN/WINS fairly
regularly..
59.The members of the band WALK/WALKS swiftly off the field after
their half-time show.
60.Statistics IS/ARE my favorite subject.
61.Out of my choices of bologna and pickle loaf, neither
APPEAL/APPEALS to me much right now.
62.Dr. Barnes, as well as two other professors, LIVE/LIVES in the same
neighborhood as I do.
63.Next to the mummy WAS/WERE several earthenware jars.
64.Two-thirds of the class FAIL/FAILS at least one exam.
65.Two-thirds of my sandwich WAS/WERE missing.
66.The plate of cookies WAS/WERE too tempting to ignore.
67. Either my neighbor or his sons WALK/WALKS their dog at least
twice each day.

28. ANSWERS
58.win
59.walk
60.is
61.appeals
62.live
63.were
64.fails
65.was
66.was
67.walk

29. Exercises
68.Single parents are one group that IS/ARE helped the most by this new tax
structure.
69.Single parents who IS/ARE working full-time are eligible for extra tax
breaks.
70.Neither the students nor the teacher IS/ARE familiar with the final exam
schedule.
71.Macaroni and cheese IS/ARE a staple of the college student's diet.
72.The team WANT/WANTS to win at least one home game this season.
73.The team of Americans (was/were) the best in the tournament.
74.The collection of documents from the revolution (was/ were) stolen.
75.More recent research in the areas surrounding Stonehenge have revealed
evidence of a Neolithic village and several gravesites, which (has yielded/ have
yielded/ yields/ yielded) useful information.

30. ANSWERS
68.is
69.are
70.is
71.is
72.want/ wants
73.was
74.was
75.has yielded