Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement Basic Principle: Singular subjects need singular verbs; plural subjects need plural verbs. You can’t have a singular subject with a plural verb or vice versa. This is the simplest error to recognize and spot in a sentence and can seriously undermine you credibility as a writer if you make this mistake.

John eats pizza. John, a famous author and father of two who I respect immensely for his driven passion and attention to detail, eats pizza. John is the subject and “eats” is the verb. The correct conjugation for “to eat” in the third person is “eats”. Simple sentence follows the basic idea of subject verb agreement. Even though there is a long description (non essential clause) between the subject and the verb, the subject is still John.

1. My sister or my brother (is / are) meeting you at the airport. The correct response should be: is When two subjects are joined by the words or or nor a singular verb is in order. Or and nor as joiners work somewhat differently from and. While the word and seems to ADD things together, or and nor do not. They suggest a CHOICE.

2. Neither Carla nor Jeff (is / are) available to meet you at the airport. The correct response should be: is Two singular subjects joined by either/or or neither/nor also need a singular verb.

3. Susan and her family (is / are) at Disney World. The correct response should be: are When the word and connects two or more nouns or pronouns, use a plural verb.

4. The athlete or his teammates (sprints / sprint) every day. The correct response should be: sprint When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closer to the verb. If the sentence reads “His teammates or the athlete sprints every day.”

5. The birthday boy, along with his friends, (is / are) anxious for the party to start. The correct response should be: is When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, the verb has to agree with the subject, not with the noun or pronoun in the phrase.

6. Mary (doesn’t / don’t) care for pizza. The correct response should be: doesn’t Since doesn’t is a contraction of does not it should be used with a singular subject.

7. Each of the girls (is / are) qualified for the prize. The correct response should be: is Each, either, each one, everyone, neither, everybody, anyone, anybody, somebody, nobody, someone, and no one are singular so they need a singular verb.

8. (There is /There are) many paths to success. The correct response should be: There are Sentences that begin with there is or there are have the subject following the verb since there is not a subject. Therefore, the verb must agree with what follows it.

9. Both of the Elvis impersonators (is / are) missing, thank goodness. The correct response should be: are The plural subject both requires the plural verb are. The following are plural indefinite pronouns and receive plural verbs: Both, many, few, several.

10. Some of the marbles (is / are) on the floor. The correct responses should be: are Marbles are countable; therefore, the sentence has a plural verb. Some indefinite pronouns may be singular or plural. It all depends on the noun it stands for – these include: all, any, either, none, some, more, most.

11. Some of the sugar (is / are) on the floor. The correct response should be: is Sugar is uncountable; therefore, the sentence has a singular verb.