1.1.2: Subject-Verb Agreement
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common errors that people make in English Grammar. Having a solid understanding of this concept is critical when making a good impression, and it will help ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly.
What Is Agreement?
Agreement in speech and in writing refers to the proper grammatical match between words and phrases. Parts of sentences must agree, or correspond with other parts, in number, person, case, and gender.
- Number. All parts must match in singular or plural forms.
- Person. All parts must match in first person (I, we), second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, they) forms.
- Gender. All parts must match in male or female forms.
Subject-verb agreement describes the proper match between subjects and verbs.
Because subjects and verbs are either singular or plural, the subject of a sentence and the verb of a sentence must agree with each other in number. That is, a singular subject belongs with a singular verb form, and a plural subject belongs with a plural verb form. Notice that in the sentences below, the simple present tense is used. Many times, subject-verb agreement mistakes are made in this verb tense.
Singular: The cat jumps over the fence.
Plural: The cats jump over the fence.
Subject-Verb Agreement and Tenses
Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern. For example, in the third person singular, regular verbs always end in -s. Other forms of regular verbs do not end in -s. Look at the chart to review verb forms in simple present, present and past progressive and presents perfect tenses.
Table 12.13.1 -- Subject-Verb Agreement
| Person and Number | Simple Present | Present and Past Progressive | Present Perfect |
| First person singular | I walk | I am walking/I was walking | I have walked |
| First person plural | We walk | We are walking/ We were walking | We have walked |
| Second person (singular and plural) | You walk | You are walking/ You were walking | You have walked |
| Third person singular | He /She/ It walks | He /She/It is walking/ was walking | He /She/ It has walked |
| Third person plural | They walk | They are walking/ They were walking | They have walked |
| Third person plural | They were walking | They are walking/ They were walking | They will be walking |
Exercise 1.6
In the following sentences, choose the correct form of the verb (in parentheses) depending upon whether the subject is first, second, or third person singular or plural.
1. She ______________________ to work every day. (drive, simple present)
2. My sister and I __________________ in the choir. (sing, simple present)
3. The children______________________ in the living room. (play, present progressive)
4. I _______________________ this weekend, so I can't come to the barbeque. (work, present progressive)
5. Joan and Shari ______________ for the train to arrive when I called them. (wait, past progressive)
6. My grandfather was upset because you _________________________ on my grandfather's chair. (sit, past progressive)
4. I ________________________ the entire house, and I am ready for my guests. (clean, present perfect)
5. We______________________ a new house, and we are so excited! (buy, present perfect)
6. The students______________________ together for two months. (study, present perfect)
Agreement for Irregular Verbs
The "to be" verbs are the most common verbs in the English language. However, they are also irregular when it comes to subject-verb agreement.
See the examples in the chart.
Table 12.13.2 -- Agreement for the "to be" Verbs
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Exercise 1.7
Complete the following sentences by writing the correct present tense form of be, have, or do so that the subject-verb agreement is correct. Use your own sheet of paper to complete this exercise.
- I ________ sure that you will succeed.
- They ________ front-row tickets to the show.
- He ________ a great Elvis impersonation.
- We ________ so excited to meet you in person!
- She ________ a fever and a sore throat.
- You ________ not know what you are talking about.
- You ________ all going to pass this class.
- She ________ not going to like that.
- It ________ appear to be the right size.
- They ________ ready to take this job seriously
Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement
Errors in subject-verb agreement may occur when:
- a sentence contains a compound subject;
- the subject of the sentence is separate from the verb;
- the subject of the sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as anyone or everyone;
- the subject of the sentence is a collective noun, such as team or organization; or
- the subject appears after the verb.
Recognizing the sources of common errors in subject-verb agreement will help you avoid these errors in your writing. This section covers the subject-verb agreement errors in more detail.
Compound Subjects
A compound subject is formed by two or more nouns and the coordinating conjunctions and, or, or nor. A compound subject can be made of singular subjects, plural subjects, or a combination of singular and plural subjects.
Compound subjects combined with and take a plural verb form.
Two singular subjects: Alicia and Miguel ride their bikes to the beach.
Two plural subjects: The girls and the boys ride their bikes to the beach.
Singular and plural subjects: Alicia and the boys ride their bikes to the beach.
Compound subjects combined with or and nor are treated separately. The verb must agree with the subject that is nearest to the verb.
Two singular subjects: Either you or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage.
Two plural subjects: Either you or the twins take the furniture out of the garage.
Singular and plural subjects: Either Jason or the twins take the furniture out of the garage.
Plural and singular subjects: Either the twins or Jason takes the furniture out of the garage.
Two singular subjects: Neither Elizabeth nor Rianna wants to eat at that restaurant.
Two plural subjects: Neither the kids nor the adults want to eat at that restaurant.
Singular and plural subjects: Neither Elizabeth nor the kids want to eat at that restaurant.
Plural and singular subjects: Neither the kids nor Elizabeth wants to eat at that restaurant.
If you can substitute the word they for the compound subject, then the sentence takes the third person plural verb form.
Separation of Subjects and Verbs
As you read or write, you may come across a sentence that contains a phrase or clause that separates the subject from the verb. Often, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses add more information to the sentence and appear between the subject and the verb. However, the subject and the verb must still agree.
If you have trouble finding the subject and verb, cross out or ignore the phrases and clauses that begin with prepositions or dependent words. The subject of a sentence will never be in a prepositional phrase or dependent clause.
The following are examples of subjects and verbs separated by a prepositional phrase:
The student with the best grades wins the academic awards.*
The puppy under the table is my favorite.
*Notice that the noun before the verb is plural, but because that word, "grades," is the object of the preposition, not the subject in the sentence. So the verb "wins" does not need to agree with "grades," it needs to agree with "student."
The following are examples of subjects and verbs separated by a dependent clause:
The car that I bought has power steering and a sunroof.
The representatives who are courteous sell the most tickets.
Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to an unspecified person, thing, or number. When an indefinite pronoun serves as the subject of a sentence, you will usually use a singular verb form.
Table 12.13.3 -- Indefinite Pronoun Agreement
| Indefinite Pronouns | Examples |
|---|---|
|
anybody, anyone, anything |
Does anyone have an extra pencil? |
| everybody, everyone, everything | Everybody needs someone to love. |
| nobody, no one, nothing | No one has the remote. Where can it be? |
| somebody, someone, something | Somebody is making noise in the apartment next to us. |
Collective Nouns
A collective noun is a noun that identifies more than one person, place, or thing and considers those people, places, or things to be a singular (one) unit. Because collective (noncount) nouns are counted as one, they are singular and require a singular verb. Some commonly used collective nouns are group, team, army, flock, family, and class.
Singular: The class is going on a field trip.
In this sentence, class is a collective noun. Although the class consists of many students, the class is treated as a singular unit and requires a singular verb form.
Singular: Our family goes on vacation every summer.
In American English family is generally considered as a singular unit as well. (In British English, family may also be used as a non-collective noun, and the verb can be in either a singular of plural form.)
The Subject Follows the Verb
You may encounter sentences in which the subject comes after the verb instead of before the verb. In other words, the subject of the sentence may not appear where you expect it to appear. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, you must correctly identify the subject and the verb.
Here or There
In sentences that begin with here or there, the subject follows the verb.
Here is my wallet!
There are thirty dolphins in the water.
If you have trouble identifying the subject and the verb in sentences that start with here or there; it may help to reverse the order of the sentence so the subject comes first.
My wallet is here!
Thirty dolphins are in the water.
Questions
When you ask questions, a question word (who, what, where, when, why, or how) appears first. The verb and then the subject follow.
Who are the people you are related to?
When am I going to go to the grocery store?
If you have trouble finding the subject and the verb in questions, try answering the question being asked.
When am I going to the grocery store? I am going to the grocery store tonight.
Exercise 1.8
Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following sentences. If there are no errors in subject-verb agreement, write OK. Copy the corrected sentence or the word OK on your own sheet of notebook paper.
- My dog and cats chases each other all the time.
________________________________________________________________
- The books that are in my library is the best I have ever read.
________________________________________________________________
- Everyone are going to the concert except me.
________________________________________________________________
- My family are moving to California.
________________________________________________________________
- Here is the lake I told you about.
________________________________________________________________
- There is the newspapers I was supposed to deliver.
________________________________________________________________
- Which room is bigger?
________________________________________________________________
- When are the movie going to start?
________________________________________________________________
- My sister and brother cleans up after themselves.
________________________________________________________________
- Some of the clothes is packed away in the attic.
________________________________________________________________
Exercise 1.9
Correct the errors in subject-verb agreement in the following paragraph.
Dear Hiring Manager,
I feels that I am the ideal candidate for the receptionist position at your company. I has three years of experience as a receptionist in a company that is
similar to yours. My phone skills and written communication is excellent. These skills, and others that I have learned on the job, helps me understand that
every person in a company helps make the business a success. At my current job, the team always say that I am very helpful. Everyone appreciate when I
go the extra mile to get the job done right. My current employer and coworkers feels that I am an asset to the team. I is efficient and organized. Is there
any other details about me that you would like to know? If so, please contact me. Here are my résumé. You can reach me by e-mail or phone. I looks
forward to speaking with you in person.
Thanks,
Felicia Fellini
Imagine that you are a prospective client and that you saw this ad online. Would you call Terra Services to handle your next project? Probably not! Mistakes in subject-verb agreement can cost a company business. Paying careful attention to grammatical details ensures professionalism that clients will recognize and respect.
Contributors and Attributions
CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY:
- Adapted from College ESL Writers: Applied Grammar and Composing Strategies for Success. Authored by: Barbara Hall and Elizabeth Wallace. Provided by: GALILEO Open Learning Materials. License: CC BY-NC-SA (3.0): Attribution.
- Adapted from Writing for Success. Provided by: The Saylor Foundation. License: CC-NC-SA 3.0.
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- Subject Verb Agreement. Authored by: Socratica. License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License.