This document provides 12 rules for subject-verb agreement in academic writing. It explains that the subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number, and provides examples of how to determine the subject of sentences with collective nouns, compound subjects, inverted word order, and other constructions. Exceptions and tricky cases are illustrated through examples showing how to identify the true subject and select the correct verb form.

1. Basic Grammar
Rules in Academic
Writing
John Paul Solon
Reporter

2. Rule 1: You must write in sentences
Rule 2: Subjects and Verbs in sentences
must agree with each other
Rule 3: You must use appropriate
punctuation

3. Rule 4: You must use the right
vocabulary
Rule 5: You must use apostrophe
correctly and with care

4. Examples:
• My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train
today.
• Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with
stage decorations.
Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either
/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

5. Examples:
Rule 3.The verb in an either/or, or neither/nor sentence
agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that
shelf
.Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that
shelf.

6. Example:
Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or
more subjects when they are connected by and.
A car and a bike are my means of transportation.
. Breaking and entering is against
the law.
But note these exceptions:
Exception:
The bed and breakfast was charming.
In those sentences, breaking and
entering and bed and
breakfast are compound nouns.

7. Rule 5. Sometimes the subject is separated from
the verb by such words as along with, as well as,
besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not
part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular
verb when the subject is singular.
Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is
expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the
cause of her shaking

8. Rule 6. With words that indicate portions—percent,
fraction, majority, some, all, etc. If the noun
after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is
plural, use a plural verb.
Examples:
Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared.
Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.

9. Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.
Rule 7. In sentences beginning
with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

10. Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that
offense.
Rule 8. Use a singular verb with distances, periods
of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as
a unit.

11. Examples:
The staff is in a meeting.
Staff is acting as a unit.
The couple disagree about disciplining their
child.
The couple refers to two people who are acting
as individuals.
Rule 9. Some collective nouns, such as family,
couple, staff, audience, etc., may take either a
singular or a plural verb, depending on their use in
the sentence.

12. • Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.
Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences
that express a wish or are contrary to fact:

13. Rule 11. When a relative pronoun is used as a
subject of an adjective clause
A relative pronoun ("who," "which," or "that") used
as a subject of an adjective clause takes either a
singular or plural verb in order to agree with its
antecedent.

14. Vegetables that contain DDT can be harmful.
• Big Dog is one of those animals who are very intelligent.
• Big Dog is an animal who is very intelligent

15. • Everyone has done his or her homework.
• Somebody has left her purse.
• Everyone has finished his or her homework.
Rule 12. The indefinite pronouns anyone,
everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always
singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

16. • The department members but not the
chair have decided not to teach on
Valentine's Day.
• It is not the faculty members but the
president who decides this issue.
• It was the speaker, not his ideas,
that has provoked the students to riot.
Rule 13. If your sentence compounds a positive
and a negative subject and one is plural, the other
singular, the verb should agree with the positive
subject.

17. • Some of the pie (is, are) missing
• Mary (is, are) one of the students who (has, have)
done honor to the college..
• Joe’s favorite dessert (is, are) blueberry muffins.
• Four times four divided by two (is, are) eight.
• There (is, are) many possible candidates.
• Either the man or his wife (know, knows) the truth
of the matter.
Let’s try this!

18. • If I (was, were) a boy
• Blueberry muffins (is, are) Joe’s favorite dessert.
• Two-fifths of the vineyard (was, were) destroyed
by fire.
• The mayor and his brothers (is, are) going to jail.
• The mayor as well as his brothers (is, are) going
to prison.
• A vegetable that (contain, contains) DDT can be
harmful.
Let’s try this!

19. • Forty percent of the student body (is, are) in favor
of changing the policy.
• The dishes in the kitchen (is, are) dirty.
• The family (has, have) met their various
obligations.
• It is not the faculty members but the president
who (decide, decides) this issue.
• Some of the pies (is, are) missing.
• Some of the water (is, are) gone.
Let’s try this!

20. • Either the construction workers or the mailman (is,
are) causing Peggy to bark like crazy.
• Some of the voters (is, are) still angry.
• There (is, are) snacks on the laundry-room table.
• There (is, are) only one good candidate.
• I wish it (was, were) Friday.
• Neither Juan nor Carmen (is, are) available.
• All of the pie (is, are) gone.
• All of the pies (is, are) gone.
• The whole family (is, are) active.
Let’s try this!

21. • Two and two (is, are) four.
• Forty percent of the students (is, are) in favor of
changing the policy.
• Neither money nor power (was, were) important
any longer.
• Neither the television nor the radios (work, works).
Let’s try this!

22. • There (is, are) two reasons for this.
• Here (is, are) two apples.
• Neither the one next door nor the dogs down the
street (pay, pays) any attention.
• Two-fifths of the troops (was, were) lost in the
battle.
Let’s try this!