Subject Verb Agreement

Front

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Back

Subject-Verb Agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

Front

When should a singular verb be used?

Back

A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, for example: 'The cat runs fast.'

Front

When should a plural verb be used?

Back

A plural verb should be used when the subject is plural, for example: 'The cats run fast.'

Front

What is the rule for collective nouns?

Back

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

How does the presence of phrases affect subject-verb agreement?

Back

Phrases that come between the subject and verb do not affect the agreement. For example: 'The bouquet of flowers is beautiful.' Here, 'bouquet' is the subject.

Front

What is the rule for subjects joined by 'and'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb. For example: 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

Front

What is the rule for subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

Back

When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example: 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.'

Front

What is the rule for indefinite pronouns?

Back

Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'someone', and 'anyone' are singular and take singular verbs. For example: 'Everyone is here.'

Front

What is the exception for 'none'?

Back

The word 'none' can be singular or plural depending on the context. For example: 'None of the cake is left' (singular) vs. 'None of the students are here' (plural).

Front

What is the rule for fractions and percentages?

Back

Fractions and percentages take a singular verb when the noun they refer to is singular. For example: 'Fifty percent of the cake is gone.'