Subject and Verb Agreement
A verb must agree with its subject in number. A singular subject must have a singular verb; a plural subject
must have a plural verb.
Singular and Plural Verbs in the Present Tense
Singular
Singular
First and Second Person Third Person
(I, you) send
(he, she, it) sends
(I, you) go
(he, she, it) goes
Plural
First, Second, and Third Person
(we, you, they) send
(we, you, they) go
A prepositional phrase that comes between a subject and its verb does not affect the subject-verb agreement.
Incorrect:
The poster of combat planes fill the wall.
Correct:
The poster of combat planes fills the wall.
A compound subject joined by and is usually plural and must have a plural verb.
Incorrect:
The boy and girl is playing.
Correct:
The boy and girl are playing.
Compound subjects taken together are thought of as a single unit and require a singular verb. Also, when the word each or every is
used before the compound subject, a singular verb is required.
Incorrect:
Macaroni and cheese are my favorite.
Correct:
Macaroni and cheese is my favorite.
Incorrect:
Every student and teacher anxiously await the first day of school.
Correct:
Every student and teacher anxiously awaits the first day of school.
When two or more subjects are joined by or or nor, the verb agrees with the closest subject.
Incorrect:
Either Alice or Mike are going to help us study.
Correct:
Either Alice or Mike is going to help us study.
(One or the other will help, but not both of them)
Incorrect:
Neither the boys nor the girls is here.
Correct:
Neither the boys nor the girls are here.
When the subject comes after the verb, the subject and verb must still agree in number.
Incorrect:
Waiting along the shore is many nervous soldiers.
Correct:
Waiting along the shore are many nervous soldiers.
Sentences beginning with there or here are nearly always in inverted word order (verb before subject). Many questions are in inverted
word order also. The subject must still agree with the verb in number.
Incorrect:
There are the boy.
Correct:
There is the boy.
Incorrect:
Where are the newspaper?
Correct:
Where is the newspaper?
Either a singular verb or a plural verb can agree with an indefinite pronoun depending on the pronoun’s form and meaning.
Always Singular:
One of the submarines is equipped with radar.
Everybody on the submarine was frightened by the attack.
Neither of the strategies seems workable.
Always Plural:
Many of the soldiers are fighting on the war’s front lines.
Others are working to supply them with food and ammunition.
Several contribute by working as code breakers.
Either Singular or Plural:
Most of the war was fought long ago.
Most of the battles were fought in the first year.