Subject–Verb Agreement: All the Rules for Matching Subject and Verb
This page gives all the essential rules, with examples, for choosing the verb according to the subject's number and person — from and, as well as, either…or, each/every, to a number of, collective and uncountable nouns.
- Class 6-10 grammar level
- 10 min read
The Basic Rule: The Subject's Number Decides the Verb
Subject-Verb Agreement means that a sentence's verb matches its subject's number (singular/plural) and person (first/second/third). In the simple present tense, a third-person singular subject (he, she, it, Ram, the boy) takes -s/-es on the verb: She writes. The boy plays. With a plural subject, the verb takes its base form: They write. The parents fulfil the needs of their children.
Among auxiliary verbs: singular takes is/was/has/does, plural takes are/were/have/do. 'I' always takes am/was/have, and 'you' always takes are/were/have — never 'You is'. Modals (can, may, must, will, should) never change according to the subject's number: He can, They can.
The most common mistake comes from words that fall in between. The verb agrees with the subject's head noun, not with any of-phrase or prepositional phrase that follows it: The box of pencils is on the table. One of my friends lives in Ajmer. The quality of the mangoes was poor.
Rules for Compound Subjects
| Situation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A and B | Two or more subjects joined by 'and' take a plural verb | Smoke, foul water, dirty air and litter pollute our environment. |
| Two names for the same person/thing | The article comes only before the first word (one person), or both words together name a single unit (such as one dish), so the verb is singular | The poet and singer is here. Bread and butter is my breakfast. |
| Each/Every … and … | Singular when the sentence begins with 'each' or 'every' | Every boy and girl is present. |
| A as well as / along with / together with / with / besides / in addition to B | The verb agrees with the first subject (A) | A correct policy as well as schemes is required. The teacher, with her students, is going on a trip. |
| A and not B / not B but A | The verb agrees with whichever subject is not the 'not' one | Heroism, and not sacrifice, is rare. Not the pupils but the teacher is to blame. |
| A or B / either A or B / neither A nor B / not only A but also B | The verb agrees with the nearer (second) subject — the Principle of Proximity | Either Ravi or his friends are coming. Neither the students nor the teacher was late. Not only the girls but also the boy has won. |
Remember: 'and' joins (plural); 'as well as' only adds company — the subject stays the first one; with 'or/nor', the nearer one wins.
Rules by Type of Noun and Pronoun
| Type | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Uncountable/abstract nouns (water, information, furniture, advice, understanding) | Singular | Mutual understanding is an important step. The furniture is new. |
| A gerund (-ing) or infinitive as subject | Singular | Water harvesting is an important technique. Walking daily keeps you fit. |
| Each, either, neither, everyone, everybody, someone, nobody, anything | Singular | Each of the students has a book. Neither of them is ready. |
| One of + plural noun | Singular (the verb agrees with 'one') | One of the boys was absent. |
| A number of + plural noun | Plural (meaning: several) | A number of factors contribute to a better relationship. |
| The number of + plural noun | Singular (meaning: the count/figure) | The number of students is increasing. |
| Many a + singular noun | Singular | Many a student has passed this exam. |
| Plural in form, singular in meaning (news, mathematics, physics, measles) | Singular | The news is good. Mathematics is my favourite subject. |
| Always plural (people, police, cattle, scissors, trousers, spectacles) | Plural | People have the habit of judging others. The police are here. |
| A collective noun (team, class, family, committee, jury) — as a single unit | Singular | The committee has taken its decision. |
| A collective noun — when its members act separately (mostly British usage) | Plural | The jury were divided in their opinions. |
| An amount, distance or time taken as a single unit | Singular | Ten kilometres is a long walk. Five hundred rupees is enough. |
| The + adjective (the rich, the poor, the blind) — a class of people | Plural | The rich are not always happy. |
| The title of a book/film | Singular | 'Gulliver's Travels' is a famous book. |
There, Relative Pronoun, and Percentage Sentences
In 'There is/There are', the real subject comes after the verb, so the verb agrees with that: There is a pen on the desk. There are two pens on the desk.
The verb after a relative pronoun (who, which, that) agrees with its antecedent — that is, the noun it stands for: It is the imposed decision of the parents that is responsible… (that = decision, singular). He is one of those boys who are always punctual. (who = boys, plural). It is I who am responsible.
With percentage, fraction, part, half, all, some, most, the verb is decided by the noun that follows 'of': Half of the water is dirty. Half of the students are absent. Most of the work is done. Most of the books are old.
Exam Tip
Before the blank, circle the 'real subject': cross out with a pencil the of-phrase, the as well as/with part, and the 'not' part — whatever is left is the subject. Then, if there's 'or/nor', look at the nearer subject. This 30-second method solves almost every agreement question in the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
In a sentence with 'as well as', which subject does the verb agree with?+
The first subject. For example: A correct policy as well as schemes is required. The boys as well as the teacher are here.
With 'Either…or' and 'Neither…nor', does the verb take singular or plural?+
The verb agrees with the nearer, that is the second, subject: Neither the teacher nor the students were late. Either the students or the teacher is responsible.
What is the difference between 'A number of' and 'The number of'?+
'A number of' means 'several', so it takes a plural verb (A number of students are absent). 'The number of' means 'the count/figure', so it takes a singular verb (The number of students is 40).
Does 'is' or 'are' go with 'Every boy and girl'?+
'Is'. A compound subject beginning with 'each' or 'every' is treated as separate individuals, one at a time, so it takes a singular verb.