THEORY

Theory from UTS University of Technology Sydney

Subject-verb agreement

A common problem in some students' work are errors between subject and verb agreement. This is where the subject does not agree with the verb:

e.g. Theories suggests that modern healthcare standards is not effective.

This can be due to whether the noun in the sentence is plural or single or that the pronoun (subject) is not matching the main verb.

Below are some guidelines here which may help prevent this in your writing.

General guidelines

1. The subject and verb might have many words between them. The subject still controls the verb:

• This university, which is made up of many students, teachers, and others, is large.
• The colours of a gas spectrum tell of its chemical composition.
• The effect which these reactions caused during the last three weeks is insignificant.

2. Subjects with two or more parts joined by ‘and’ usually require a plural verb:

• Krypton and neon are noble gasses.
• Salt and pepper are always on the table.

However, if two subjects are thought of as a single thing, then use a singular verb. For example:

• Fish and chips is my favourite dish.

3. Subjects with two or more parts joined by or, nor, neither. . , nor. . ., either. . . or. . ., not only. . ., but also. . . require the verb to agree with the final noun:

• Salt or pepper is always on the table.
• Real estate or securities are a suitable investment at this time.
• Neither stocks nor real estate is a good investment at the moment.

4. In sentences that begin with here or there, the subject is after the verb, and determines the verb:

• There are four students in my presentation group and we will discuss the marketing plan.
• There is a single main idea in my first paragraph.

5. Certain groups of words look plural, but are singular. This is especially true for subjects and disciplines, and for illnesses:

• Physics is the science of matter and energy.
• Diabetes is a terrible disease.
• Other words in these categories include economics, electronics, mathematics, and measles, mumps, and shingles.

6. When writing about measurements, the singular verb is usually used:

• Four grams of magnesium was used in the chemical experiment.

7. The indefinite pronouns everybody, everyone, everything take singular verbs:

• Everything in chemistry is explainable in atomic terms and widely explored in the literature.

8. However, plural determiners like few, many, several, both, all, some take plural verbs:

• Many of my fellow students are ready for their presentations today.
• Few things at university are more valuable than making good friends.

9. Collective nouns often take singular verbs:

• My family is very supportive of my studies here.

However, they may also take plural verbs. For example:

• My family are very supportive of my studies here.

Which is correct? Often it depends on how you think of the group: ‘My family’ as a single unit, or ‘My’ family as several individuals. Other collective nouns like this include team, class, cohort, government, crowd, and orchestra.

10. All of, any of, enough of, more of, most of, none of, some of, a quantity of, and similar subjects can take a singular or plural noun. The best guide is to look at the object of the preposition of:

• None of this material is suitable for industrial applications.
• None of these materials are suitable for industrial applications.

11. Titles take singular verbs. This is for books, movies, songs, stories, and the like:

• The Regulations of the Senate is a very important document in Australian politics and has a distinguished history.
• The Annals of the Australian Historical Society is edited by Dr Proctor.

Theory Verb- Subject Agreement from See the section on Plurals for additional help with subject-verb agreement.

The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

• Everyone has done his or her homework.
• Somebody has left her purse.

Some indefinite pronouns — such as all, some — are singular or plural depending on what they're referring to. (Is the thing referred to countable or not?) Be careful choosing a verb to accompany such pronouns.

• Some of the beads are missing.
• Some of the water is gone.

On the other hand, there is one indefinite pronoun, none, that can be either singular or plural; it often doesn't matter whether you use a singular or a plural verb — unless something else in the sentence determines its number. (Writers generally think of none as meaning not any and will choose a plural verb, as in "None of the engines are working," but when something else makes us regard none as meaning not one, we want a singular verb, as in "None of the food is fresh.")

• None of you claims responsibility for this incident?
• None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
• None of the students have done their homework. (In this last example, the word their precludes the use of the singular verb.

Some indefinite pronouns are particularly troublesome Everyone and everybody (listed above, also) certainly feel like more than one person and, therefore, students are sometimes tempted to use a plural verb with them. They are always singular, though. Each is often followed by a prepositional phrase ending in a plural word (Each of the cars), thus confusing the verb choice. Each, too, is always singular and requires a singular verb.

Everyone has finished his or her homework.

You would always say, "Everybody is here." This means that the word is singular and nothing will change that.

Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.

Don't let the word "students" confuse you; the subject is each and each is always singular — Each is responsible.

Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are not the same as and. The phrase introduced by as well as or along with will modify the earlier word (mayor in this case), but it does not compound the subjects (as the word and would do).

• The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.
• The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.

The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to two things.

• Neither of the two traffic lights is working.
• Which shirt do you want for Christmas?
  Either is fine with me.

In informal writing, neither and either sometimes take a plural verb when these pronouns are followed by a prepositional phrase beginning with of. This is particularly true of interrogative constructions: "Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?" "Are either of you taking this seriously?" Burchfield calls this "a clash between notional and actual agreement."*

The conjunction or does not conjoin (as and does): when nor or or is used the subject closer to the verb determines the number of the verb. Whether the subject comes before or after the verb doesn't matter; the proximity determines the number.

• Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.
• Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.
• Are either my brothers or my father responsible?
• Is either my father or my brothers responsible?

Because a sentence like "Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house" sounds peculiar, it is probably a good idea to put the plural subject closer to the verb whenever that is possible.

The words there and here are never subjects.

• There are two reasons [plural subject] for this.
• There is no reason for this.
• Here are two apples.

With these constructions (called expletive constructions), the subject follows the verb but still determines the number of the verb.

Verbs in the present tense for third-person, singular subjects (he, she, it and anything those words can stand for) have s-endings. Other verbs do not add s-endings.

He loves and she loves and they love_ and . . . .

Sometimes modifiers will get betwen a subject and its verb, but these modifiers must not confuse the agreement between the subject and its verb.

The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on four counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several political lives, is finally going to jail.

Sometimes nouns take weird forms and can fool us into thinking they're plural when they're really singular and vice-versa. Consult the section on the Plural Forms of Nouns and the section on Collective Nouns for additional help. Words such as glasses, pants, pliers, and scissors are regarded as plural (and require plural verbs) unless they're preceded the phrase pair of (in which case the word pair becomes the subject).

• My glasses were on the bed.
• My pants were torn.
• A pair of plaid trousers is in the closet.

Some words end in -s and appear to be plural but are really singular and require singular verbs.

• The news from the front is bad.
• Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.

On the other hand, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are nonetheless plural and require a plural verb.

• My assets were wiped out in the depression.
• The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.
• Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.

The names of sports teams that do not end in "s" will take a plural verb: the Miami Heat have been looking … , The Connecticut Sun are hoping that new talent … . See the section on plurals for help with this problem.

Fractional expressions such as half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of are sometimes singular and sometimes plural, depending on the meaning. (The same is true, of course, when all, any, more, most and some act as subjects.) Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular and require singular verbs. The expression "more than one" (oddly enough) takes a singular verb: "More than one student has tried this."

• Some of the voters are still angry.
• A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
• Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
• Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
• Forty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
• Forty percent of the student body is in favor of changing the policy.
• Two and two is four.
• Four times four divided by two is eight.

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.

• 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.

THEORY FROM COMMNET EDUCATION GRAMMAR

20 Rules of Subject Verb Agreement

While grammar is not as static a science as is typically assumed, there are 20 rules of subject verb agreement that attempt to objectify part of the English language form. Most of the concepts of subject verb agreement are straightforward, yet some aspects of singular and plural usage in English grammar are more complicated.
Consider the second person plural pronoun y'all as it's used in the southern American dialect, for example. Addressing a group of people in the second person using standard English is inefficient and requires more words.
A sentence like I want to talk to all of you sitting at the table in standard English can be accomplished quite simply in southern American dialect with the sentence I want to talk to y'all.

What Are the Rules?

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the background of the concept.

The dog growls when he is angry. The dogs growl when they are angry.

2. Don’t get confused by the words that come between the subject and verb; they do not affect agreement.

The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.

3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.

The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

4. 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 with the balance sheet. Here are the papers you requested.

5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.

Does Lefty usually eat grass? Where are the pieces of this puzzle.

6. If two subjects are joined by and, they typically require a plural verb form.

The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.

7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by and refer to the same person or thing.

Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.

8. If one of the words each, every, or no comes before the subject, the verb is singular.

No smoking or drinking is allowed. Every man and woman is required to check in.

9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also the verb is singular.

Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

10. The only time when the object of the preposition factors into the decision of plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc. are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.

All of the chicken is gone. All of the chickens are gone.

11. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement or time.

Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.

Dogs and cats are both available at the pound.

13. If one subject is singular and one plural and the words are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, you use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo. Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.

14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs.  *

Everybody wants to be loved.

15. * Except for the pronouns (few, many, several, both, all, some) that always take the plural form.

Few were left alive after the flood.

16. If two infinitives are separated by and they take the plural form of the verb.

To walk and to chew gum require great skill.

17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular verb form of the verb; but, when they are linked by and, they take the plural form.

Standing in the water was a bad idea. Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.

18. Collective nouns like herd, senate, class, crowd, etc. usually take a singular verb form.

The herd is stampeding.

19. Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.

20. Final Rule – Remember, only the subject affects the verb!

Examples of Subject Verb Agreement

Subject verb agreement simply means the subject and verb must agree in number. This means both need to be singular or both need to be plural.

Subject/Verb Agreement Examples

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement (the subject is bolded and the verb underlined): 

• My dog always growls at the postal carrier.
• Basketballs roll across the floor.
• I don’t understand the assignment.
• These clothes are too small for me.
• Peter doesn’t like vegetables.

Compound Subjects

Compound subjects (two subjects in the same sentence) usually take a plural verb, unless the combination is treated as singular in popular usage or the two subjects refer to the same thing or person. Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with compound subjects:

• Sugar and flour are needed for the recipe.
• Neither my dad nor my brothers know how to ski.
• Pepperoni and cheese are great on a pizza.
• Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional meal in Ireland. (popular usage)
• The creator and producer is arriving soon. (both refer to same person)

When using “or” or “nor” in a compound subject containing a singular and plural subject, the verb agrees with the closest subject. Examples of compound subjects using or, neither-nor, or either-or include:

• My mom or dad is coming to the play. (singular)
• Neither gray nor white is my favorite color. (singular)
• Either Grandpa or my sisters are going to the park. (closest subject is plural)
• Either my sisters or Grandpa is going to the park. (closest subject is singular)
• Neither she nor I am going to college. (closest subject is singular)

Singular Indefinite Pronouns

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with singular indefinite pronouns:

• Each gets a trophy for playing.
• Somebody will pay for this.
• Anybody is more fun than you.
• Something is very wrong here.
• Everybody enjoys a good book.
• Nothing has been determined as of yet.

Plural Indefinite Prounouns

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with plural indefinite pronouns:

• Both are qualified for the job.
• Many went to the beach and got sunburned.
• Few know what it really takes to get ahead.
• Several are already on location.
• Some sugar is required for taste. (sugar is uncountable so singular verb used)
• Most of the cookies were eaten. (cookies are countable so plural verb used)

Midsentence Phrase or Clause

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with a phrase or clause between the subject and verb:

• A theory of physics ascertains that a body in motion stays in motion.
• A virus in all the company’s computers is a real threat to security.
• The causes of this prevalent disease are bad diet and lack of exercise.
• The couch and chair I got at the store look really nice in here.
• The members of the choir are very happy with the performance.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on meaning. Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with collective nouns:

• The committee meets here every Thursday. (singular)
• The crowd is getting angry. (singular) 
• The jury has finally reached a decision. (singular)
• The majority rules most of the time. (plural)
• The staff have gone their separate ways for the holidays. (plural)

Inverted Subjects

Here are some examples of subject verb agreement with inverted subjects where the subject follows the verb:

• There are seven clean plates in the dining room.
• There is a hair in my lasagna.
• Over the rainbow flies a bird.
• How are the employees enjoying the new building?
• A good gift is a gift card.

THEORY FROM THE WRITING CENTER

THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN- MADISON

When the subject follows the verb

When the subject follows the verb (especially in sentences beginning with the expletives "there is" or "there are"), special care is needed to determine the subject and to make certain that the verb agrees with it.

On the wall were several posters.

There are many possible candidates.

There is only one good candidate.

When words like "each" are the subject

When used as subjects, words such as

• each, either, neither
• another
• anyone, anybody, anything
• someone, somebody, something
• one, everyone
• everybody, everything
• no one, nobody, nothing

take singular verbs.
Do not be confused by prepositional phrases which come between a subject and its verb. They do not change the number of the subject.

Each takes her turn at rowing.

Neither likes the friends of the other.

Everyone in the fraternity has his own set of prejudices.

Each of the rowers takes her turn at rowing.

Every one of the fraternity members has his own set of prejudices.

When words like "none" are the subject

Other words such as

• none, any, all
• more, most, some

may take either singular or plural verbs, depending on the context.

Some of the dollar was spent.

Some of the dollars were spent.

[Note: here the prepositional phrase does affect the subject. It tells you whether you are talking about a part of one thing (singular) or about a number of things (plural).]

When the subjects are joined by "and"

Subjects joined by "and" take plural verbs.
Be aware: phrases such as "in addition to," "as well as," and "along with" do not mean the same thing as "and." When inserted between the subject and the verb, these phrases do not change the number of the subject.

Both Tom and Jane have English 167 papers due on Tuesday.

Tom, as well as Jane, has an English 207 paper due Tuesday.

When singular subjects are joined by words like "or"

Singular subjects joined by "or," "nor," "either . . . or," or "neither. . . nor" take a singular verb.

Either the man or his wife knows the truth of the matter.

Neither money nor power was important any longer.

When one subject is singular and one plural

If one subject is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

Neither the television nor the radios work.

Neither the radios nor the television works.

When a linking verb is used

A linking verb ("is," "are," "was," "were," "seem" and others) agrees with its subject, not its complement.

Joe's favorite dessert is blueberry muffins.

Blueberry muffins are Joe's favorite dessert.

When a collective noun is used

When regarded as a unit, collective nouns, as well as noun phrases denoting quantity, take singular verbs.

The whole family is active.

(Family is a collective noun regarded as a unit.)

The family have met their various obligations.

(The individuals of the family are regarded separately.)

A thousand bushels is a good yield.

(a quantity or unit)

A thousand bushels were crated.

(individual bushels)

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.

A vegetable that contains DDT can be harmful.

(Adjective clause modifying the singular noun "vegetable.")

Vegetables that contain DDT can be harmful.

(Adjective clause modifying the plural noun "vegetables.")

Mary is one of the students who have done honor to the college.

(Adjective clause modifies the plural noun "students." "Students" is the antecedent of "who."

In the above sentence Mary is just one of the students. So at least two students have done honor to the college.
Compare that to:

Mary is the only one of our students who has achieved national recognition.

In this case, "one," not "students," is the antecedent of "who."
Compare to the sentence above:

Of all our students, Mary is the only one who has achieved national recognition.