Subject Verb Agreement

Subject Verb Agreement

There is an agreement between subject and verb that if there is change in subject then there will be corresponding change in verb also. This kind of agreement between subject and verb known as subject verb agreement.

Rule 1: Use a singular form verb with a single subject and a plural form verb with a plural subject. A verb must agree with its subject in number and person i.e.

A singular subject requires a singular verb. A plural subject requires a plural verb

        1.     My friend likes tea.

        2.     My friends like tea.

Rule 2: Two or more nouns or pronouns joined by AND require a plural verb.

        1.     Gold and silver are precious metals.

        2.     Asha and Nisha work in IBM.

Rule 3: If two nouns, in spite of being joined by AND, suggest one idea or refer to the same person or thing, the verb used is singular.

        1.     Slow and steady wins the race.

        2.     Tom and Jerry is funny cartoon.

        3.     Rice and curry is my favorite dish.

Rule 4: Two or more singular subject connected by OR, either…..or neither ….nor or as well as require singular verbs.

        1.     Neither the chairman nor the doctor is present.

        2.     Hari or Abdul has gone to Ranchi.

        3.     Rajeev as well as Mukul is intelligent.

Rule 5: If one the subject joined by or/nor is plural, the verb must be plural and the plural subject should be placed nearest to the verb.

        Neither the chairman nor the directors are present.

Rule 6: Either, neither, each, everyone, many, a, must be followed by a singular verb.

        1.    Each man has a car.

        2.    Every house is beautiful.

        3.    Everyone is playing.

        4.    Neither of the pens was red.

        5.    Either of the books is good.

Rule 7: Two nouns qualified by each/every even though joined by AND require a singular verb.

        1.     Every boy and every girl was given a packet of sweet.

        2.     Each boy and each girl is ready now.

Rule 8: A collective noun such as team, committee, group, family takes a singular verb.

        1.  The committee has issued its report.

        2.   The government has decided it.

        3.   My family is old one.

        4 .   The audience today was huge.

        5.   The crowd has been dispersed.

Rule 9: When a plural is a proper noun for a single object or collective unit the singular verb is used.

        1.     United States of America has a big navy.

        2.     The Arabian Nights is an interesting book.

        3.     Crime and Punishment is written by Dostoyevsky.

        4.     Gulliver’s Travels is an interesting book.

        5.     Lamb’s Tales From Shakespeare is a popular book.

Rule 10: When a plural noun denotes a specific quantity or amount considered as a whole, the singular verb is used.

        1.                        Ten kilometers is a long walk.

        2.                        Fifty thousand dollars is a huge sum.

        3.                        Twenty miles is a long way to walk.

        4.                        Ten years is a long time.

        5.                        Three months is not enough time.

        6.                        Fifty rupees is a lot of money for me.

        7.                        A thousand rupees was not a small sum.

        8.                        Two kilos of coffee costs about three hundred rupees.

Rule 11: Some nouns which are plural in form but singular in meaning take a singular verb. E.g.: Civics, Mathematics, news, dollars, measles, etc.

        1.                        The news is true.

        2.                        Her hair is long.

        3.                        Politics is serious business for him.

Rule 12: If two singular nouns are joining with AND but denoting a single man takes a singular verb.

        1.                        My uncle and guardian, has come.

        2.                        My friend and classmate Deepak, is here.

        3.                        The Magistrate and Collector, is here.

Rule 13: A relative pronoun always agrees in number and person with its antecedent.

1.                     1.  I am a man who always seeks/seek others welfare.
                2. He is one of those men who know/knows everything.

     Exercise
1.       One of the boys was/were present.
2.       Neither the children nor their mother was/were admitted.
3.       Two and two make/makes four.
4.       Ram as well as his friend is/are dead.
5.       A hundred kilometers is/are a good distance.
6.       The great poet and novelist is/are dead.
7.       Each of the boys was/were given a prize.
8.       The quality of the mangoes was/were not good.
9.       Every boy and every girl has/have to join school.
10.   Two thousand rupees is/are a good sum.
11.   Slow and steady win/wins the race.
12.   A large number of women was/were present at the meeting.
13.   More than boys was/were present at the meeting.
14.   None but the brave deserves/deserve the fair.
15.   Time and tide waits/wait for no man.
16.   Knowledge of modern languages is/are essential these days.
17.   He as well as you is/are intelligent.
18.   Bread and butter is/are my daily diet.
19.   Either you or he has/have done it.
20.   Which of these umbrellas is/are yours?
21.   The teacher as well as the boys was/were present.
22.   The king with all his ministers was/were killed.
23.   Either Rama or his brothers is/are at fault.
24.   Lamb’s Tales are/is an interesting book.
25.   Plucking flowers is/are forbidden.
26.   Mohan with his friends was/were caught.
27.   The studies of Mathematics require/requires brains.
28.   Neither Mohan nor Afzal has/have come.
29.   Iron as well as gold is/are found in India.
30.   Four weeks is/are a good holiday.
31.   The cost of all these articles has/have risen.
32.   I am a man who always seeks/seek others welfare.
33.   He is one of those men who know/knows everything.