English Subject - Verb Agreement

THE BASICS

A SINGULAR SUBJECT NEEDS A SINGULAR VERB

Singular verbs end in…

S

THE BASICS (PLURAL)

A PLURAL SUBJECT NEEDS A PLURAL VERB

PLURAL VERBS DO NOT HAVE A…

S at the end

RULE #1:

TWO OR MORE NOUNS JOINED TOGETHER WITH AN “AND” MAKE A PLURAL SUBJECT.

RULE #2

WHEN A SENTENCE BEGINS WITH EACH OR EVERY ,

THE VERB WILL BE SINGULAR, NO MATTER HOW MANY SUBJECTS ARE LISTED

RULE #3:

BE CAREFUL WITH THESE TYPES OF SENTENCES:

1. Either…or…

2. Neither…nor…

3. Not only…but also…

RULE #4:

INDEFINITE PRONOUNS ARE ALWAYS SINGULAR (EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT SEEM PLURAL)

Each, either, neither

Anyone, anybody, anything

Everyone, everybody, everything

No one, nobody, nothing

Someone, somebody, something

RULE #5:

IGNORE INTERRUPTING PHRASES

As well as

Along with

Together with

Including

In addition to

Especially

Always mentally ignore the interrupting phrase. Then, look at the subject that the verb is referring to.

RULE 6:

Collective Nouns are singular when the entire group is doing the same thing.

Examples of collective nouns: family, team, group, class, staff,