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SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT:

Four tricky areas

 

A sentence’s subject and its verb must agree in number.  In other words, if the subject is singular (i.e. student), the verb must be singular (i.e. studies) and vice versa (i.e. students study).

 

There are four key areas where this rule gets a bit tricky to apply: 

·        when compound subjects are joined by “OR” or “NOR”

·        when words (such as prepositional phrases) come between the subject and verb

·        when the subject is an indefinite pronoun or collective noun

·        when the verb comes before the subject in the sentence

 

Compound Subjects (joined by OR or NOR):

When a sentence has two are more subjects joined by OR or NOR, the verb will agree in number with the subject closer to the verb.

 

Examples:

The teacher or the students comment on the essays in class.  (A plural subject, students, is closest to the verb, so the verb, comment, takes the plural form.)

 

The students or the teacher comments on the essays in class.  (A singular subject, teacher, is closest to the verb, so the verb, comments, takes the singular form.)

 

Words between subject and verb:

Words that come between the subject and verb do not affect subject-verb agreement.

 

Examples:

The jar of pennies is sitting on the counter.  (The subject is the singular word, jar, rather than “pennies,” so it takes a singular verb, is sitting.  Often, by crossing out prepositional phrases, it is easier to see if the subject and verb agree.)

 

The jar of pennies is sitting on the counter.  (The jar is sitting . . .)

 

Indefinite Pronouns:

The following indefinite pronouns are SINGULAR and take singular verbs:

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

 

Example:

Everyone hates alarm clocks!

 

Neither of those hairstyles looks good on you.

 

OVER

Collective Nouns:

In general, treat collective nouns as SINGULAR.  Collective nouns that emphasize the group as a single unit should have singular verbs.

 

Examples of collective nouns:  class, family, jury, committee, team, audience, crowd

 

Examples:

The committee meets every Thursday after school.       (The group as a whole is a unit, so it takes a singular verb.)

 

Verb before Subject:

Sometimes, especially in questions, the verb comes before the subject.  The verb must agree with its subject even if the subject follows the verb.

 

Examples:

There is a long line at the ticket counter.

 

Here are the books you ordered.         

 

In the distance were dark storm clouds.

 

When is the concert?

 

Yakima Valley Community College Writing Center, Grandview Campus

Updated 4/2001

 

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