FAQs

What is subject–verb agreement and why does it matter?

Subject–verb agreement means the verb in a sentence must match the subject in number: singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. This matters because agreement affects clarity and credibility. Sentences like “She walk every day” or “They walks every day” sound incorrect and distract the reader from your message. Maintaining agreement helps your writing sound polished, professional, and easy to understand.

How do I quickly find the true subject when there are extra words?

Ignore prepositional phrases and other modifiers that sit between the subject and verb. Strip the sentence down to its core: subject + verb. For example, in “The bouquet of roses on the counter smells wonderful,” the true subject is bouquet (singular), not roses. Similarly, in “The quality of these reports has improved,” the subject is quality (singular), so the verb is has, not have.

When subjects are joined by “and,” should the verb be plural or singular?

With most compound subjects joined by and, use a plural verb: “Tom and Maya are presenting.” However, treat the subject as singular when the pair functions as one unit, one dish, one title, or one idea: “Fish and chips is my favorite,” “Bread and butter goes well together,” “Research and development is expanding.” Context determines whether the two parts act as one concept or two separate entities.

What about subjects joined by “or” or “nor”?

With or/nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (the “nearest subject” rule). Compare: “Either the students or the teacher is responsible” (singular because teacher is nearest) vs. “Either the teacher or the students are responsible” (plural because students is nearest). When possible, rearrange to avoid awkwardness: “The teacher and the students share responsibility.”

Which indefinite pronouns are always singular, always plural, or variable?

Always singular: everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, each, either, neither, everything, something, anything, nothing. Example: “Everyone is welcome.”
Always plural: few, many, several, both. Example: “Many are ready.”
Singular or plural (depends on the noun of reference): all, any, none, some, most. Example: “Some of the cake is gone,” “Some of the cookies are gone.”

How do collective nouns (team, family, committee) agree with verbs?

Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on meaning and variety of English. In American English, they are usually singular when the group acts as a unit: “The team is winning.” Use plural when emphasizing individual members: “The team are arguing among themselves.” In British English, plural agreement is more common in the latter case. Choose the form that matches your intended meaning and stay consistent within a document.

Why do some singular nouns end in “-s,” and how should the verb agree?

Some subjects look plural but are grammatically singular: news, mathematics, physics, economics, politics, diabetes. They take singular verbs: “Mathematics is hard,” “The news was surprising.” Conversely, some nouns are always plural (scissors, trousers, jeans, glasses) and take plural verbs: “These scissors are sharp.”

How do titles of books, movies, and organizations affect agreement?

Treat titles and names as singular even if they look plural, because they refer to one work or one entity: “‘The Avengers’ is an enduring franchise,” “The Philippines Statistics Authority releases the report,” “United Nations is headquartered in New York” (in formal headline style, some prefer singular for institutions as a single entity). Maintain consistency with your style guide.

How should I handle percentages, fractions, and quantity phrases?

Agreement depends on the noun that follows of. If the object of the preposition is singular or uncountable, use a singular verb: “Fifty percent of the water is gone.” If it’s plural, use a plural verb: “Fifty percent of the voters are undecided.” Remember the contrast: “A number of students are late” (plural) vs. “The number of students is small” (singular).

What are the most common agreement errors with relative clauses?

Check whether the relative pronoun (who, that, which) refers to a singular or plural noun. In “She is one of the teachers who teach algebra,” the verb teach is plural because it modifies teachers, not she. Similarly: “He is one of the players who were selected.” If the clause clearly refers to the singular antecedent, then use singular: “She is the only one who teaches algebra.”

How does word order in questions and sentences with “there is/are” affect agreement?

In questions, auxiliaries can hide the subject. Match the auxiliary to the subject: “Does he write?” but “Do they write?” With existential constructions, the verb agrees with the following subject: “There is a book,” “There are books,” “There has been progress,” “There have been delays.” Be cautious with contractions: spoken “There’s” is common, but in formal writing use “There are” with plural nouns.

Do “each” and “every” always take singular verbs—even before plural nouns?

Yes. Each and every trigger singular agreement: “Each student has a locker,” “Every boy and girl enjoys the event.” Even with two nouns joined by and, if each or every comes before them, use a singular verb: “Every book and notebook is labeled.”

How do uncountable nouns affect agreement?

Uncountable (mass) nouns—such as information, advice, furniture, luggage, equipment, homework, research, progress, money—take singular verbs: “The information is accurate,” “His advice helps a lot.” Avoid making them plural: not “informations” or “equipments.” If you need to quantify them, use a countable unit: “pieces of information,” “items of equipment,” “tips,” “banknotes.”

How can I avoid errors when long modifiers come between the subject and verb?

Bracket the extra material and test the sentence without it. Example: “The results, along with the analyst’s notes and the appended charts, were persuasive.” Remove the modifier to check: “The results were persuasive.” Doing this quickly reveals the correct number and prevents you from matching the verb to the nearest plural noun by mistake.

What agreement rules apply to gerund and infinitive subjects?

Gerunds and infinitives functioning as subjects are singular: “Running is fun,” “To travel is to learn.” When you have a coordinated gerund phrase that represents multiple activities as a unit, a singular verb is still common if the activities are framed as one idea: “Reading and writing is essential for success” (formal American English often prefers singular). If you emphasize them as separate activities, some writers use a plural verb: “Reading and writing are essential skills.” Choose based on meaning and maintain consistency.

How does formality influence choices like “there’s” with plural nouns?

In conversation, contractions like “There’s” often appear with plural nouns (e.g., “There’s many reasons”). In formal writing and careful speaking, match number accurately: “There are many reasons.” Similarly, avoid informal mismatches such as “My friend don’t like coffee.” Use “My friend doesn’t like coffee.” Proofreading for contractions is a practical way to catch hidden agreement errors.

What strategies can I use to proofread for agreement?

First, circle each main verb and draw an arrow to its subject; check singular vs. plural. Second, scan for trigger words that commonly cause mistakes: each, every, neither, either, a number of, the number of, as well as, along with, together with. Third, read sentences aloud to hear mismatches. Finally, compare parallel structures; if you used a plural subject in one clause, verify that the second clause matches in number and logic.

Can you give a quick checklist for tricky patterns?

Compound with “and”: usually plural (“X and Y are”), unless one unit (“Fish and chips is”).
Or/Nor: agree with nearest subject (“Either A or B is/are”).
Indefinite pronouns: memorize singular vs. plural lists; “some/any/none/most/all” depend on the noun that follows.
Collective nouns: singular for unit; plural for individuals acting separately.
Titles, subjects ending in -s (news, mathematics): treat as singular.
Quantity phrases: match the noun after of.
Relative clauses: verb agrees with the antecedent inside the clause.
There is/are, questions: match the verb with the subject that follows or the subject after the auxiliary.
Uncountables: always singular; quantify with “pieces/items of …” when needed.

Why do writers still slip, and how can I improve over time?

Writers slip because speech patterns, long modifiers, and mixed structures can mask the true subject. Improvement comes from deliberate practice: (1) Do short drills focusing on one pattern (e.g., indefinite pronouns) until it becomes automatic. (2) Edit old paragraphs, highlighting subjects and verbs. (3) Keep a personal error log with examples you’ve misused (e.g., there’s + plural, one of the + plural who + plural verb). (4) Read high-quality prose and notice how agreement is handled in complex sentences. With repetition, your instincts sharpen and errors become rare.

English Grammar Guide: Complete Rules, Examples, and Tips for All Levels