Subject-Verb Agreement

Overview

The basic rule of subject-verb agreement is simple: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

• The dog runs in the park. (singular)
• The dogs run in the park. (plural)

But English has many situations where the correct choice is not obvious. This guide covers all the tricky cases.

The Basic Rule

Remember: In present simple, the singular verb has -s and the plural verb does not. This is the opposite of nouns, where -s means plural.

Tricky Case 1: Words Between Subject and Verb

The verb agrees with the subject, not with the nearest noun. Ignore phrases between the subject and verb:

• The list of items is long. (subject = list, singular)
• The students in the class are smart. (subject = students, plural)
• The price of these tickets has increased. (subject = price, singular)
• The books on the shelf belong to me. (subject = books, plural)

Common distracting phrases: of the, in the, with the, along with, together with, as well as, including, besides

Important: "As well as," "together with," "along with," and "including" do NOT make a subject plural:

• The teacher, as well as the students, is present. (subject = teacher, singular)
• The manager, together with her team, has arrived.
• The house, including all its furniture, was sold.

Tricky Case 2: Compound Subjects (And, Or, Nor)

Subjects joined by "and" → plural

• Tom and Jerry are friends.
• Coffee and tea are popular drinks.
• My mother and father live in London.

Exception: When two words refer to ONE thing or person:

• Bread and butter is my favourite breakfast. (one combination)
• The CEO and founder is giving a speech. (one person with two roles)
• Fish and chips is a traditional dish. (one dish)

Subjects joined by "or" / "nor" → verb agrees with the nearer subject

• Either the teacher or the students are responsible. (students = nearer, plural)
• Either the students or the teacher is responsible. (teacher = nearer, singular)
• Neither the manager nor his assistants were available.
• Neither the assistants nor the manager was available.

Tip: Put the plural subject second — it sounds more natural.

Tricky Case 3: Indefinite Pronouns

Always singular

These take a singular verb:

Always plural

Singular or plural (depending on the noun they refer to)

None: Traditionally singular, but plural is widely accepted when referring to countable nouns. Both "None of them is" and "None of them are" are used.

Tricky Case 4: Collective Nouns

Collective nouns refer to groups: team, family, class, government, audience, committee, company, staff, public, police, group.

British English vs. American English

In British English, you can use singular or plural depending on whether you think of the group as a unit or as individuals.

In American English, collective nouns are usually singular.

Always Plural

Some collective nouns are always plural in British and American English:

• The police are investigating. (NOT the police is)
• People are waiting outside. (NOT people is)

Always Singular

• The news is shocking. (NOT news are)
• Mathematics is difficult. (NOT mathematics are)
• The United States is a large country. (country names = singular)

Tricky Case 5: There Is / There Are

The verb agrees with the noun that follows:

• There is a book on the table. (singular)
• There are three books on the table. (plural)
• There is some water in the glass. (uncountable)

In informal speech, "there's" is often used even with plural nouns: "There's two problems." This is common but grammatically informal.

Tricky Case 6: Quantities and Amounts

Amounts of money, time, and distance → singular

When a quantity is considered one unit:

• Ten dollars is not enough. (one amount)
• Three hours is a long time to wait. (one period)
• Five miles is a long walk. (one distance)
• Two kilos of rice is enough. (one quantity)

"A number of" vs. "The number of"

• A number of students are absent. (= many students — plural)
• The number of students is increasing. (= the number itself — singular)

"A lot of" / "Plenty of"

Verb agrees with the noun:

• A lot of time is wasted.
• A lot of people are waiting.
• Plenty of food is available.
• Plenty of seats are empty.

Fractions and Percentages

Verb agrees with the noun after "of":

• Half of the cake is gone. (uncountable)
• Half of the students are absent. (countable plural)
• 70% of the work is done.
• 70% of the answers are correct.

Tricky Case 7: Titles, Names, and Nouns Ending in -s

Titles of works → singular

Even if they look plural:

• "The Chronicles of Narnia" is a great series.
• "Friends" is my favourite show.
• "The Times" is a British newspaper.

Subjects and diseases ending in -s → singular

• Mathematics is my favourite subject.
• Physics is difficult.
• Economics has changed a lot.
• Measles is a serious disease.
• The news is on at 6 PM.

Plural-looking nouns that are singular

• My scissors are on the desk. (always plural — plural verb)
• My glasses are new. (always plural)
• These trousers are expensive. (always plural)
• BUT: A pair of scissors is on the desk. (pair = singular)

Tricky Case 8: Relative Clauses

The verb in a relative clause agrees with the noun the relative pronoun refers to:

• She is one of those people who are always happy. ("who" refers to "people" — plural)
• He is the only one of the students who has finished. ("who" refers to "the only one" — singular)
• The books that are on the table belong to me.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Distracted by nearby nouns

• Wrong: The quality of the products are excellent.
• Correct: The quality of the products is excellent. (subject = quality)

Mistake 2: "Everyone" with plural verb

• Wrong: Everyone are ready.
• Correct: Everyone is ready.

Mistake 3: "As well as" making subject plural

• Wrong: The teacher as well as the students are present.
• Correct: The teacher, as well as the students, is present.

Mistake 4: "News" with plural verb

• Wrong: The news are bad.
• Correct: The news is bad.

Mistake 5: Amounts treated as plural

• Wrong: Twenty dollars are too much.
• Correct: Twenty dollars is too much.

Mistake 6: "There" with wrong verb

• Wrong: There is many problems.
• Correct: There are many problems.

Quick Reference

Practice Tips

1. Find the real subject: In every sentence, strip away prepositional phrases and find the true subject before choosing the verb.
2. Read news headlines aloud: Headlines often have tricky agreement — practise identifying the subject and verb.
3. Focus on indefinite pronouns: Write sentences with everyone, nobody, each, some, and check your verb choice.
4. Pay attention to "there is/are": In your daily writing, make sure the verb matches the noun that follows.
5. Review your own writing: After writing anything in English, go back and check every subject-verb pair.