Subject-Verb Concord: Understanding Agreement in Sentences

Subject-verb agreement means that subjects and verbs must always agree with each other. The verb changes its form to indicate the tense but it also changes its form to indicate the number of subjects in a sentence.

For example, let’s take the verb “eat.” In the present tense, the verb “eat” changes form to show that its subject is singular when its subject is anything but “I” or “you.”

Subject: Singular and Plural

• Did you identify the third person singular verb, ‘s’ as added to the verb form? All the present tense verbs have an ‘s’ added after the verb when they are used in the third-person singular forms. For more read Present tense by Vedantu.

• Think for a moment about the verbs, run, eat, walk, cry, study, and work. Now, provide these verbs with the subject “I.” I think; I run; I eat; the pronoun “I” is the only word that can be a first-person subject; likewise, the word “you” is the only word that can be a subject for the second form of the verb. The present tense verb for ‘you’ is the same as for “I.” You think; you run; you eat.

• When we change the subject to ‘he’, ‘she’ or ‘the boy’ we must add an “s.” to each verb. The boy walks; he runs; the cat eats; etc.

Subject Verb Agreement Rules

Below are some rules of Subject Verb Agreement. Understand them easily with examples provided.

1. Singular Subject, Singular Verb

• Rule: When the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, typically ending in "s."

• Example: "The dog barks loudly."

2. Plural Subject, Plural Verb

• Rule: When the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural, without an "s."

• Example: "The dogs bark loudly."

3. Subjects Joined by 'And'

• Rule: Two or more subjects joined by "and" are considered plural and require a verb without an "s."

• Example: "Kriti, Bobby, and Bob walk to the shopping mall."

• Example: "Kriti and her brothers walk to the shopping mall."

4. Each/Every with Subjects

• Rule: If a subject is preceded by "each" or "every," it is considered singular and takes a verb form that ends in "s."

• Example: "Each boy and girl walks to the shopping mall."

5. Subjects Joined by 'Or', 'Nor', or 'But'

• Rule: When plural subjects are joined by "or," "nor," or "but," the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

• Example: "Either she or her friends will attend the event."

• Example: "Neither Ram nor his brother walks to the shopping mall."

• Example: "Not Ram but his brother walks to the shopping mall."

6. Indefinite Pronouns

• Rule: Indefinite pronouns such as "everyone," "someone," and "each" are generally singular and use a verb form that ends in "s."

• Example: "Everyone sings with the singer."

• Example: "Every tree dances with the wind."

7. Subject Not in Prepositional Phrases

• Rule: The subject of a verb should never be in a prepositional or verbal phrase. The verb agrees with the main subject, not with the noun in the phrase.

• Example: "The mother cow (along with her five calves) walks on the road."

8. Indefinite Pronouns with Prepositional Phrases

• Rule: Some indefinite pronouns and nouns can be singular or plural depending on the object of the prepositional phrase.

• Example: "Some of the families are coming."

• Example: "Some of the food is over."

9. Collective Nouns

• Rule: When a collective noun (like "family," "group," "committee," or "class") is the subject, it takes a singular verb that ends in "s."

• Example: "My family walks after dinner."

• Example: "The committee decides to take a stand."

10. Nouns Ending in 'S' but Singular

• Rule: Some nouns, like "maths," "measles," or "news," end in "s" but are considered singular because without the "s," they aren't complete nouns.

• Example: "Maths is her favourite subject in class."

• Example: "They watch the news."

11. Units of Measurement

• Rule: When a subject is a unit of measurement (time, distance, money, weight, etc.), it is considered singular and takes a verb that ends in "s."

• Example: "India imports hundreds of kilos of plastic or plastic articles."

• Example: "Thirteen feet of rope bears the weight easily."

12. Questions Starting with 'There' or 'Here'

• Rule: In sentences or questions that begin with "there" or "here," the verb often comes before the subject and must agree with the true subject.

• Example: "Where is my uniform?"

• Example: "These are my uniforms."

Subject Verb Agreement Examples

1. Singular Subject, Singular Verb:

• The cat runs fast.

• She writes every day.

2. Plural Subject, Plural Verb:

• The dogs bark loudly.

• They play football on weekends.

3. Subjects Joined by 'And':

• Tom and Jerry are best friends.

• The teacher and the student discuss the lesson.

4. Each/Every with Singular Verb:

• Each student receives a certificate.

• Every child enjoys the playground.

5. Subjects Joined by 'Or' or 'Nor':

• Neither the manager nor the employees want to change the policy.

• Either John or his friends are coming to the party.

6. Collective Nouns with Singular Verb:

• The committee decides on the next steps.

• The team wins every match.

7. Indefinite Pronouns with Singular Verb:

• Everyone likes the new teacher.

• Somebody is knocking on the door.

8. Subjects Separated by Phrases:

• The cake, along with the cookies, is on the table.

• The book, including its appendices, was very informative.

9. Nouns Ending in 'S' but Singular:

• Mathematics is challenging for some students.

• The news was shocking to everyone.

10. Units of Measurement with Singular Verb:

• Ten dollars is the cost of the ticket.

• Five miles is a long walk.

Conclusion

This article has been written with a lot of detail and a lot of attention to all the minute things that are essential in understanding the topic of Subject-Verb Concord. Vedantu hopes that the article is very useful and helps in making this topic easier for you. By referring to this article, you will be able to solve multiple questions based on the topic in your exams. Subject- Verb Concord, as mentioned before, is a very important topic that teaches you to frame some really basic sentences. If the basics are not clear then there is a strong possibility of you facing doubts in your sentence formation skills and communication skills in general. To avoid problems like these, solve as many sample questions from the topic to diversify your knowledge.

We hope that this detailed explanation on the topic of Subject-Verb Concord helps you in getting clarity and that it makes you a better learner!

Test your Knowledge on the Topic of Subject Verb Concord with Subject Verb Agreement Exercise

1. Your love over the years and your support (has/have) given us confidence.

2. The bowling alley on the north campus, (offers/offers) a wide variety of entertainment services.

3. The main source of income for Iran (is/are) oil and pitch.

4. The chances of your being hired (is/are) excellent.

5. There (was/were) a dead cockroach stuck to the refrigerator.

6. Neither the professor nor his assistants (was/were) able to solve the puzzle I have.

7. Spending many hours at the driving range (has/have) led to the design of golf balls with GPS trackers in them.

8. Every year, due to the festival, the smoke of the village bonfires (fills/fills) the sky.

9. The story performers (was/were) surrounded by children and adults eager to see magical tales.

Find out if you got them all right from the answers below.

1. Your love over the years and your support has given us confidence.

2. The bowling alley on the north campus offers a wide variety of entertainment services.

3. The main source of income for Iran is oil and pitch.

4. The chances of your being hired are excellent.

5. There was a dead cockroach stuck to the refrigerator.

6. Neither the professor nor his assistants were able to solve the puzzle I have.

7. Spending many hours at the driving range has led to the design of golf balls with GPS trackers in them.

8. Every year, due to the festival, the smoke of the village bonfires fills the sky.

9. The story performers were surrounded by children and adults eager to see magical tales.

Takeaways from this Page

• The verb in a sentence must match the subject in both number (singular or plural) and person to ensure correct grammar.

• While the basic rule is straightforward—singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs—various scenarios, such as collective nouns, subjects joined by "and," "or," "nor," and phrases like "each" or "every," can affect the agreement.

• Collective nouns can take either singular or plural verbs, depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit or as individuals.

• Most indefinite pronouns are singular and require singular verbs, even if they seem plural in meaning.

• Words that separate the subject from the verb, such as prepositional phrases or clauses, do not affect the verb’s agreement with the main subject.