Subject–verb agreement
Making the verb match its subject in number
Subject–verb agreement (concord) means the verb must match its subject in number. A singular subject takes a singular verb (He works; The dog barks), and a plural subject takes a plural verb (They work; Dogs bark); this is why we choose between is/are, was/were, has/have and does/do. Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, each, either and neither are treated as singular and take a singular verb (Everyone is here). With 'there', we use 'there is' before a singular noun and 'there are' before a plural noun. Uncountable nouns like news, information and money take a singular verb (The news is good), while some nouns that are plural in form, such as trousers and scissors, take a plural verb. When two subjects are joined by 'and' the verb is plural, but when they are joined by 'or/nor' the verb agrees with the nearer subject. Collective nouns like team and family are usually singular, and amounts of distance, money or time are treated as singular (Ten years is a long time). For example: 'Everyone in the two classes is ready, and there are thirty students waiting outside.'
Key terms
| Subject | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| he / she / it | verb + -s (singular) | She works in a hospital. |
| I / you / we / they | base form (no -s) | They work in a hospital. |
| Singular noun | singular verb (is/was/has) | The dog barks loudly. |
| Plural noun | plural verb (are/were/have) | The dogs bark loudly. |
| everyone / somebody | singular verb | Everyone is here. |
| there + singular / plural | there is / there are | There is a book; there are books. |
| Case | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Collective nouns (team, family) | Usually singular; take a singular verb. | The team is training hard. |
| each / every | Always singular, even before a plural noun. | Each of the students has a copy. |
| either…or / neither…nor | The verb agrees with the nearer subject. | Either my cousins or my uncle is coming. |
| Uncountable nouns (news, money) | Singular, even when ending in -s. | The news is good. |
| Amounts of time/money/distance | Treated as one unit; singular. | Ten years is a long time. |
| a number of / the number of | 'A number of' is plural; 'the number of' is singular. | A number of students are absent. |
- 1Find the real subject: The subject is 'Each', not 'students'. The plural noun 'students' sits between the subject and the verb, but it is part of the phrase 'of the students', so it does not control the verb.
- 2Apply the rule: 'Each' is an indefinite pronoun and is always singular, so it needs a singular verb.
- 3Choose the verb: The correct verb is 'has': Each of the students has a copy of the book.
- 1Spot the structure: Two subjects are joined by 'either…or': 'the teacher' (singular) and 'the students' (plural).
- 2Apply the rule: With 'either…or' (and 'neither…nor') the verb agrees with the nearer subject, not with both. Here the nearer subject is 'the students', which is plural.
- 3Choose the verb: The plural verb is correct: Either the teacher or the students are wrong about the date.
In the present simple, third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, and singular nouns) need a verb with -s: 'She works', not 'She work'.
Indefinite pronouns like everyone, everybody, somebody, nobody, each and neither are singular and take a singular verb: 'Everybody likes the teacher', 'Neither answer is correct'.
Words between the subject and the verb do not change the agreement. In 'One of the windows is broken', the subject is 'One' (singular), so the verb stays singular despite the plural 'windows'.
Some nouns that end in -s are still singular: uncountable nouns (news, information) and subject names (mathematics, physics) take 'is', while plural-form items (trousers, scissors, jeans, glasses) take 'are'.
Rules
- 1A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb: He works / They work; is/are, was/were, has/have, does/do.
- 2Indefinite pronouns (everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, each, either, neither) are singular: Everyone is here; Neither answer is correct.
- 3Use 'there is' + a singular noun and 'there are' + a plural noun; uncountable nouns (news, information, money) take a singular verb.
- 4Subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb, but with 'or/nor' (either…or, neither…nor) the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- 5Collective nouns (team, family) and amounts of distance, money or time are usually singular; note 'A number of … are' but 'The number of … is'.
Practice
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