Subject-Verb Agreement

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What is subject-verb agreement?

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Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number with its verb. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

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When do you use a singular verb?

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A singular verb is used when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

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When do you use a plural verb?

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A plural verb is used when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

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What is the rule for 'neither/nor' constructions?

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In 'neither/nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, 'Neither the students nor the teacher enjoys the drill.'

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What is the rule for 'either/or' constructions?

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In 'either/or' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, 'Either the dog or the cats are outside.'

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How do you treat compound subjects joined by 'and'?

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When subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb. For example, 'The dog and the cat are friends.'

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What is an example of a singular subject with a singular verb?

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An example is: 'The cat runs fast.' Here, 'cat' is singular and takes the singular verb 'runs'.

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What is an example of a plural subject with a plural verb?

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An example is: 'The dogs bark loudly.' Here, 'dogs' is plural and takes the plural verb 'bark'.

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What happens when a collective noun is the subject?

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Collective nouns can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group is acting as a single unit or as individuals. For example, 'The team wins' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing' (plural).

Front

What is the subject-verb agreement rule for 'spaghetti and meatballs'?

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'Spaghetti and meatballs' is treated as a singular subject, so it takes a singular verb: 'is'. For example, 'Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite meal.'