subject/verb agreement

singular subject

an ecologist studies nature.

the boy learns about ecology.

plural subject

ecologists study nature.

the boys learn about ecology.

prepostitional phrase

the desert, except in polar regions, becomes very hot.

desert - subject

becomes - verb

inverted sentence

in the desert roam herds of camels.

roam - verb

herds - subject

never the subject

here or there (adverb - where something is)

ex. a high mountain is there near the desert.

collective nouns and special subjects - singular

the team agrees to save papers.

team - subject

agrees - verb

• mathematics, physics, economics, athletics, and news end in -s but are singular

collective nouns and special subjects - plural

the team agrees to save papers.

• trousers, pliers, and scissors name one thing, but take a plural verb.

collective rules

• refer to a single unit - singular

  • number of individual units - plural

    ex. ten years seems a long time. (singular)

a title of a book or work of art….

is considered singular even if a noun within the title Is plural.

ex. recycling successes is not a best-selling book.

indefinite pronouns as subjects

plural - few others many, both several

singular - all, most, any, none, some

agreement compound subjects

when the simple subjects are joined by the coordination conjunction ‘and’ or by the correlative conjunction ‘both…and’, object is singular.

exception - when ‘and’ is used to join 2 words that are apart of one or refer to a single person/thing