SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

GENERAL RULE: A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Examples:

My friend likes mystery stories. My friends like mystery stories.

The boy plays guitar. The boys play guitar.
We study together. She studies with her friends.

1. The agreement of a verb with its subject is not changed by any intervening words. To determine the subject, mentally cross out
these intervening words or phrases. Some examples are prepositional phrases and participial phrases.
Examples:

A list of new books is available. The lists of new books are available.
The student in that room is a sophomore. The students in that room are sophomores.
The guard, exhausted from his inspection duties, goes The guards, exhausted from their inspection duties, go
home. home.

PRACTICE 1:
1. This batch of cute, little kittens (is, are) ready to be sold.
2. The coach, as well as the fans, (was, were) disappointed in the team’s performance.
3. The arrival of the new costumes (has, have) caused excitement among the cast of the play.
4. The artwork, in addition to the jewelry, (are, is) to be auctioned off in May.
5. An acre of trees and meadows (surrounds, surround) the house.

2. Intervening words and expressions introduced by connectives such as as with, besides, along with, together with, as well as, in
company with, accompanied by, including, in addition, no less than, and separating the subject from the verb, do not affect the
number of the subject.
Examples:

The missing child, together with the teachers, has been The missing children, together with the teacher, have been
found. found.
A ream of bond paper, in addition to three boxes of Four reams of bond paper, in addition to one box of
crayons, is inside the cabinet. crayons, are inside the cabinet.
The police officer, plus five journalists, arrives at the crime The police officers, plus one journalist, arrive at the crime
scene. scene.

PRACTICE 2:
1.Linda, one of my good friends, (visits, visit) Boracay every year.
2.Bilbo Baggins, who faces goblins, trolls, and dragons, (is, are) the protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
3.A mask from the South Seas, along with two feather capes made in Peru, (was, were) featured in the museum.
4.The doctor, together with his nurses, (is, are) attending a conference.
5.The actress signing autographs (has, have) won two awards.

3. A verb must agree in number with an indefinite pronoun used as a subject.

3.1. Singular indefinite pronouns like anybody, somebody, everybody, nobody, no one, anyone, someone, every one,
something, everything, nothing, each, either, neither, and one used as subjects always take a singular verb.
Examples:

Everybody believes that the earth is round.

Each of us has received a box of pencils.
One of my sisters is coming to visit us.

3.2. Plural indefinite pronouns like both, few, many, several, and others used as subjects always take a plural verb.
Examples:

Many of the local residents in the city shop at SM daily.

Several in the group attend summer classes.
Both agree to withdraw their candidacy.

3.3. When pronouns that can be either singular or plural like all, any, more, most, none, and some are used as subjects and
are followed by a phrase, the verb agrees with the phrase.
Examples:

None of the players are attending the practice.

Most of the bread has been eaten.
Some of the girls are present.

PRACTICE 3:
1. Everybody living in Baguio (goes, go) to the beach during summer.
2. All of our clothes (is, are) still unpacked.
3. None of the people in the theater (was, were) pleased with the movie.
 4. Every one of these jeans (is, are) too small.
5. All of the fruit (was spoiled, were spoiled).
4. Agreement with compound subjects.
4.1. Compound subjects joined by and usually require a plural verb.
Examples:

A magazine and a book are on the table.

The learners and their adviser tour the botanical garden.

*However, when the words of a compound subject joined by and denote the same person or thing or together represent a
single unit or idea, a singular verb is required.
Examples:

My friend and confidante is here.

Dinuguan and puto is not my favorite.

4.2. If one or more singular subjects are joined to one or more plural subjects by or or nor, either-or, and neither-nor the
subject closest to the verb determines the agreement.
Examples:

Either the man or the ladies have the script.

Neither the players nor the coach is aware of the new rules.
Spiders or cockroaches live under the house.

4.3. A compound subject involving the use of each or every takes a singular verb.
Examples:

Every boy and girl is required to attend the meeting.

Each sentence and paragraph has to be written correctly.

PRACTICE 4
1.Bacon and eggs (is, are) a popular breakfast combination.
2.The owner and manager, Mr. Garcia, (runs, run) the store.
3.Either the twins or John (is going, are going) to take charge when Mr. Brown is absent.
4.. Breaking and entering (is, are) against the law.
5.Neither the managers nor the owner (has signed, have signed) yet.

5. When a collective noun such as audience, army, class, committee, company, family, council, flock, group, herd, jury, school, team,
crew, choir, etc denotes a collection regarded as a unit, a singular verb is required. When it refers to persons or things included in
the collection, a plural verb is required.
Examples:

The committee has elected its chair. The committee were not able to agree on the decision.
The choir sounds melodious. The choir have attended the practice at the hall.

PRACTICE 5
1. The members of the jury (has returned, have returned) to their homes.
2. The choir (was told, were told) to bring their hymnals.
3. The family (has given, have given) their contributions.
4. The family (has been, have been ) to over five countries during this vacation.
5. The public (demands, demand) a solution to the problem.

6. When RELATIVE PRONOUNS like who, which, or that act as a subject of a subordinating clause, its verb will be singular or
plural depending on the number of the antecedent.
Examples:

Mary is the only one of our students who has achieved Mary is one of our students who have received national
national recognition. recognition.
She is the only one of those people who is always punctual. She is one of those people who are always punctual.

PRACTICE 6
1. Patience is one of the requirements that (makes, make) a good leader.
2. Mylene remains one of my friends who (stands, stand) by me in this upheaval.
3. Patience happens to be the only one of the requirements for leadership that (is, are) natural for me.
4.The assistant principal assigns detention to students who (is, are) tardy six times.
5.She is one of those people who (is, are) always punctual.

7. Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning agree with singular verbs. Some of these nouns name branches of
knowledge: acoustics, aesthetics, civics, economics, gymnastics, mathematics, physics, politics, and social studies. Others are
singular in meaning because, like collective nouns, they name singular units: confetti, macaroni, measles, molasses, news, rickets,
and so on.
PRACTICE 7
 1. The news is broadcast by all major TV stations.
2. Physics (attempts, attempt) to explain matter, energy, and their interaction.
3. Athletics (is, are) popular at Baguio City National High School.
4. My politics (is, are) my own business.
5. Measles (is, are) contagious.

8. Certain nouns with plural forms and no singular counterpart are nearly always used with plural verbs: riches, grits, eyeglasses,
manners, wages, pliers, whereabouts, jeans, binoculars, tweezers, people, scissors, tidings, trousers, minutes, tights, clothes.
To make these nouns singular, we can use quantifiers.
Examples:

His jeans are new. His pair of jeans are new.

The eyeglasses on the table are mine. The pair of eyeglasses on the table is mine.
Her dirty clothes are in the laundry basket. The stack of dirty clothes is in the laundry basket.

PRACTICE 8
1. My new pants (is, are) appropriate for school.
2. Chopsticks (is, are) fun to eat with.
3. That pair of scissors (is, are) dull.
4. People (has, have) become hopeful after the pandemic.
5. His whereabouts (is, are) unknown.

9. Words or phrases expressing periods of time, weights, measurements, distance, and amounts of money usually take a singular verb.
* Plural unit words are singular when the focus is on a single amount, but can be plural when the focus is on the individual
units.
Examples:

Five hundred pesos is my contribution for the field trip.

Five kilometers of rough road seems too much for him.
Seventy-two hours was all the time she had to finish the project.

PRACTICE 9
1. Ten dollars (is, are) a great deal of money to a child.
2. Fifty percent of the grade (come, comes ) from performance tasks.
3. Five days (is, are) not enough to finish this project.
4. In my dream, one million peso bills (was, were) falling from heaven.
5. Two million pesos (was, were) given to the lawyer.

10. Sentences that start with here, where, and there are inverted so are sentences where the verb comes first before the subject. To
determine what verb to be used, revert the sentences to their natural order where the subject comes first before the verb.
Examples:

Here are the brown envelopes.

There is a man walking long the corridor.
Under the sea lie buried treasures.

PRACTICE 10
1. Into the woods (run, runs) the wild boar.
2. There (is, are) twenty books for sale.
3. There (has been, have been) little administrative support.
4. Under the mat (was, were) the keys.
5. Here (is, are) the steps on how to bake a banana cake.

11.The expression the number takes a singular verb; the expression a number takes a plural verb. Also, when the expression many a is
used to precede a subject, the verb is singular.
PRACTICE 11
1. The number of dropouts (has, have) increased.
2. A number of enrollees (is, are) coming in.
3. Many a heart (has been, have been) broken by a glib tongue.
4. Many a tear (has, have) to fall, but it is all part of the game.
5. Many hearts (has, have) been broken by insincere words.

12.Fractions may take singular or plural verbs depending on the of-phrase.

Examples:

Three-fourths of the students are girls.

Three-fourths of the time has been wasted.

PRACTICE 12
1. One-half of the mangoes (is, are) sold.
2. Three-fourths of the cake (is, are) eaten by Hector.
 3. Half of the letters (has, have) been opened.
4. Two-thirds of his hair (is, are) gone.
5. Nearly 25% of people in the world (is, are) Muslims.

13.When the subject and the predicate noun are of different numbers, the verb agrees with the subject, not the predicate noun.
Examples:

The truck’s cargo is tomatoes.

Tomatoes are the truck’s cargo.

PRACTICE 13
1. Extensive study and constant practice (is, are) the secret to her success.
2. All this shirt needs (is, are) buttons.
3. All the poet cared about (was, were) wine, women, and songs.
4. Her recess activity of choice (was, were) skipping and jumping.
5. My daughter’s weakness (is, are) kittens.

14. Titles of books, songs, stories, movies, television programs, and names of establishments although plural in form takes a singular
verb.
PRACTICE 14
1. Flowers by Miley Cyrus (is, are) available on Spotify.
2. Romeo and Juliet (was written, were written) by William Shakespeare in 1597.
3. All Too Well and Blank Space (are, is) two of Taylor Swift’s biggest hits.
4. The Guinness Boof of World Records (is, are) full of amazing statistics.
5. The song “Jingle Bells” (was, were) written in 1850.

15. Arithmetic operations take a singular verb.

PRACTICE 15. Complete the sentences.
1. Twenty-three plus thirty-four (is, are) ___________.
2. Seven times eight (equal, equals) ______________.
3. Ninety-nine divided by three (is, are) ___________.
4. Fifty-eight minus sixteen (is equal, are equal) to ___________.
4. Multiplying any number to zero (result, results) to __________.

16.Non-count nouns take a singular verb.

PRACTICE 16
1. Information (is, are) a precious commodity in our computerized world.
2. Education (is, are) the key to success.
3. Cheese (is, are) delicious.
4. The jewelry in that store (look, looks) beautiful.
5. Knowledge (is, are) power.

17.Adjectives used as a subject take plural verbs.

PRACTICE 17
1. The faithful (is, are) rewarded.
2. The poor (blame, blames) the government for their woes.
3. Goodness always (prevail, prevails) over evil.
4. Revenge (is, are) a double-edged sword.
5. Hatred (has, have) no place in a humble heart.

18.A verbal noun (infinitive or gerund) serving as a subject is treated as singular, even if the object of the verbal phrase is plural.
PRACTICE 18
1. Hiding your mistakes (does,do) not make them go away.
2. To run five miles (is, are) my goal.
3. Wearing of slippers and bringing food (is, are) prohibited in this area.
4. Drinking a glass of milk and soaking in the tub (help, helps) me fall asleep.
5. Teenagers neglecting their studies (result, results) in regrets later.

19.A noun phrase or clause acting as the subject of a sentence requires a singular verb.
PRACTICE 19
1. When he will confess (is, are) the question.
2. What we need (is, are) love.
3. How he survived several ordeals in life (inspire, inspires) a lot of people.
4. Why he gave me a bright smile (puzzle, puzzles) me a lot.
5. What he ordered (was, were) spicy chicken wings.
20.When you are asking a question, you need to make the verb agree with the subject.
PRACTICE 20
1. Where (is, are) your manners?
2. (Do, Does) your parents agree with your decisions?
3. (Is, Are) the students ready to face the real world?
4. (Has, Have) you decided to be a better person?
5. What (make, makes) you hopeful about the future?