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14 Subject-Verb Agreement

In the workplace, you want to present a professional image. Your outfit or suit says something about you when meeting face-to-face, and your writing represents you in your absence. Grammatical mistakes in your writing or even in speaking make a negative impression on coworkers, clients, and potential employers. Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common errors that people make. Having a solid understanding of this concept is critical when making a good impression, and it will help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly.

Agreement

AgreementRefers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agreeTo match parts of speech in number, case, gender or person., or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender.

  • Number. All parts must match in singular or plural forms.
  • Person. All parts must match in first person (I), second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, they) forms.
  • Case. All parts must match in subjective (I, you, he, she, it, they, we), objective (me, her, him, them, us), or possessive (my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, their, theirs, our, ours) forms. For more information on pronoun case agreement, see Section 2.5.1 “Pronoun Agreement”.
  • Gender. All parts must match in male or female forms.

Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs.

Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. For more information on subjects and verbs, see Section 2.1 “Sentence Writing”.

"The image shows two sentences demonstrating the difference between singular and plural forms. The first sentence labeled 'Singular' reads, 'The cat jumps over the fence.' The second sentence labeled 'Plural' reads, 'The cats jump over the fence.'"

Regular verbs

Regular verbs – Verbs that follow a predictable pattern when shifting tenses, such as from the present to the past tense. follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s. Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s. Study the following regular verb forms in the present tense.

Singular Form Plural Form
First Person I live. We live.
Second Person You live. You live.
Third Person He/She/It lives. They live.

Tip

Add an -es to the third person singular form of regular verbs that end in -sh, -x, -ch, and -s. (I wish/He wishes, I fix/She fixes, I watch/It watches, I kiss/He kisses.)

In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the first person singular and the first person plural.

"The image contains two sentences demonstrating the use of singular and plural forms. The first sentence reads, 'Singular: You stretch before you go to bed.' The second sentence reads, 'Plural: You stretch before every game.'"

In these sentences, the verb form stays the same for the second person singular and the second person plural. In the singular form, the pronoun you refers to one person. In the plural form, the pronoun you refers to a group of people, such as a team.

"The image shows a sentence demonstrating the use of a singular subject. The sentence reads, 'Singular: My mother walks to work every morning.'"

In this sentence, the subject is mother. Because the sentence only refers to one mother, the subject is singular. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person singular form.

"A sentence is displayed in a rectangular box with a white background and black border. The sentence reads, 'Plural: My friends like the same music as I do.' The word 'friends' is underlined."

In this sentence, the subject is friends. Because this subject refers to more than one person, the subject is plural. The verb in this sentence must be in the third person plural form.

Tip

Many singular subjects can be made plural by adding an -s. Most regular verbs in the present tense end with an –s in the third person singular. This does not make the verbs plural.

"The image contains two sentences demonstrating the use of singular and plural subjects with their corresponding verbs. The first sentence reads, 'Singular subject, singular verb: The cat races across the yard.' The second sentence reads, 'Plural subject, plural verb: The cats race across the yard.'"

Irregular Verbs

Not all verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs are called irregular verbs – Verbs that do not follow a predictable pattern when shifting tenses, such as from the present to the past tense.. Some of the most common irregular verbs are be, have, and do. Learn the forms of these verbs in the present tense to avoid errors in subject-verb agreement.

Be

Study the different forms of the verb to be in the present tense.

Singular Form Plural Form
First Person I am. We are.
Second Person You are. You are.
Third Person He/She/It is. They are.

Have

Study the different forms of the verb to have in the present tense.

Singular Form Plural Form
First Person I have. We have.
Second Person You have. You have.
Third Person He/She/It has. They have.

Do

Study the different forms of the verb to do in the present tense.

Singular Form Plural Form
First Person I do. We do.
Second Person You do. You do.
Third person He/She/It does. They do.

Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement

Errors in subject-verb agreement may occur when

  • a sentence contains a compound subject;
  • the subject of the sentence is separate from the verb;
  • the subject of the sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as anyone or everyone;
  • the subject of the sentence is a collective noun, such as team or organization;
  • the subject appears after the verb.

Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-verb agreement will help you avoid these errors in your writing. This section covers the subject-verb agreement errors in more detail.

Compound Subjects

A compound subjectA subject that is formed when two or more nouns are linked by the coordinating conjunctions and, or, or nor. is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and, or, or nor. A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.

Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form.

"The image contains three sentences demonstrating subject-verb agreement with singular and plural subjects. The first sentence reads, 'Two singular subjects: Alicia and Miguel ride their bikes to the beach.' The second sentence reads, 'Two plural subjects: The girls and the boys ride their bikes to the beach.' The third sentence reads, 'Singular and plural subjects: Alicia and the boys ride their bikes to the beach.'" "The image contains four sentences demonstrating the use of singular and plural subjects with the word 'neither.' The sentences are: Two singular subjects: Neither Elizabeth nor Briana wants to eat at that restaurant. Two plural subjects: Neither the kids nor the adults want to eat at that restaurant. Singular and plural subjects: Neither Elizabeth nor the kids want to eat at that restaurant. Plural and singular subjects: Neither the kids nor Elizabeth wants to eat at that restaurant."

Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.

"The image contains four sentences demonstrating the use of singular and plural subjects in English grammar. The sentences are: Two singular subjects: Either you or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage. Two plural subjects: Either you or the twins take the furniture out of the garage. Singular and plural subjects: Either Jason or the twins take the furniture out of the garage. Plural and singular subjects: Either the twins or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage. The text is in black font on a white background, with each sentence labeled according to its subject type."

Tip

If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form.

Separation of Subjects and Verbs

As you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. However, the subject and the verb must still agree.

If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause.

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a prepositional phrase:

"The image shows two sentences with a blank space in each sentence. The sentences are: 'The students with the best grades win the academic awards.' and 'The puppy under the table is my favorite.'"

The following is an example of a subject and verb separated by a dependent clause:

"The image displays two sentences. The first sentence reads, 'The car that I bought has power steering and a sunroof.' The second sentence reads, 'The representatives who are courteous get the most tickets.'"

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronounsA pronoun that refers to an unspecified person, thing, or number. refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will often use a singular verb form.

However, keep in mind that exceptions arise. Some indefinite pronouns may require a plural verb form. To determine whether to use a singular or plural verb with an indefinite pronoun, consider the noun that the pronoun would refer to. If the noun is plural, then use a plural verb with the indefinite pronoun. View the chart to see a list of common indefinite pronouns and the verb forms they agree with.

Indefinite Pronouns That Always Take a Singular Verb Indefinite Pronouns That Can Take a Singular or Plural Verb
anybody, anyone, anything All
each Any
everybody, everyone, everything None
much Some
many
nobody, no one, nothing
somebody, someone, something

The indefinite pronoun everybody takes a singular verb form because everybody refers to a group performing the same action as a single unit.

"The image shows a sentence with the word 'Singular:' in bold at the beginning. The sentence reads, 'Everybody in the kitchen sings along when this song comes on the radio.'"

The indefinite pronoun all takes a plural verb form because all refers to the plural noun people. Because people is plural, all is plural.

"A sentence is displayed in a white box with a gray border. The sentence reads, 'Plural: All the people in the kitchen sing along when that song comes on the radio.'"

In this sentence, the indefinite pronoun all takes a singular verb form because all refers to the singular noun cake. Because cake is singular, all is singular.

"A rectangular box with a white background contains the following text: 'Singular: All the cake is on the floor.' The word 'Singular' is bolded."

Collective Nouns

A collective nounA noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things as a singular unit. is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things one singular unit. Because collective nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group, team, army, flock, family, and class.

"A rectangular box with a blurred border contains the sentence 'Singular: The class is going on a field trip.'"

In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.

The Subject Follows the Verb

You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb.

Here or There

In sentences that begin with here or there, the subject follows the verb.

"The image contains a white rectangular box with two sentences written in black text. The first sentence reads, 'Here is my wallet!' The second sentence reads, 'There are thirty dolphins in the water.'"

If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.

"The image shows a white rectangular box with two lines of text in the center. The first line reads, 'My wallet is here!' and the second line reads, 'Thirty dolphins are in the water.'"

Questions

When you ask questions, a question word (who, what, where, when, why, or how) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.

"The image contains two questions written in black text on a white background. The first question is 'Who are the people you are related to?' and the second question is 'When am I going to go to the grocery store?'"

Tip

If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.

"The image shows a comparison of sentences to illustrate correct and incorrect punctuation usage. The first sentence is labeled 'Incorrect' and reads, 'After walking over two miles. John remembered his wallet.' The second sentence is labeled 'Correct' and reads, 'After walking over two miles, John remembered his wallet.' The third sentence is also labeled 'Correct' and reads, 'John remembered his wallet after walking over two miles.'"

Key Takeaways

  • Parts of sentences must agree in number, person, case, and gender.
  • A verb must always agree with its subject in number. A singular subject requires a singular verb; a plural subject requires a plural verb.
  • Irregular verbs do not follow a predictable pattern in their singular and plural forms. Common irregular verbs are to be, to have, and to do.
  • A compound subject is formed when two or more nouns are joined by the words and, or, or nor.
  • In some sentences, the subject and verb may be separated by a phrase or clause, but the verb must still agree with the subject.
  • Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, each, everyone, many, no one, and something, refer to unspecified people or objects. Most indefinite pronouns are singular.
  • A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and treats those people, places, or things one singular unit. Collective nouns require singular verbs.
  • In sentences that begin with here and there, the subject follows the verb.
  • In questions, the subject follows the verb
Writing at Work 4-3

Use your knowledge of subject-verb agreement to write one of the following:

  1. An advertisement for a potential company
  2. A memo to all employees of a particular company
  3. A cover letter describing your qualifications to a potential employer

Be sure to include at least the following:

  • One collective noun
  • One irregular verb
  • One question

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