A.

GENGERAL RULE:
1. Plural subject + Plural verb
2. Singular subject + Singular verb
E.g.: The boys (be) are playing football.
The dog (be) is sleeping.
That book on political praties is interesting.
The ideas in that book are interesting.
My brother and sister live in Boston.

B. SINGULAR VERB:

1. Gerund (V-ing) + Singular Verb

To infinitive

E.g Running (be) is my favorite kind of exercise.

To travel around the world is my dream.

2. Subject of distance/ time/ money + Singular Verb

E.g.: 100 kilometers is too far to go by bicycle.
Eight hours of sleep is enough.
Five thousand dollars was stolen in the robbery.
Three years is a long time to be without a job.

3. Singular nouns that end with – S (mathematics, statistics, physics, phonetics, measles,
rickets, diabetes, rabies, mumps, dominoes, billlards, darts, news, the United States, The
United Nations, the Phillippines, Wales, Athens, etc.) + Singular Verb
E.g.: The news is interesting.
Mathematics is easy for her.
The United Nations has its headquarters in New York City.
The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands.

4. Every
One
Each
Another + Singular Count Noun + Singular Verb
Either/ Neither
More than one
Many a
Every S1 and S2
Each S1 and S2
E.g.: Every student has a schedule.
Each student of the class has to have a book.
Every man, woman, and child is protected under the law.
Each book and magazine is listed in the card catalog.
One student was late to class.
5. One of
+ Specific Plural Count Noun + Singular Verb
Each (one) of
Every one of
E.g.: One of the countries I would like to visit is Italy.
Each of the the rooms in the hotel has its own bathroom.
Every one of my friend is here.

6. None of + plural Noun + Singular V (very formal English)/ Plural V (informal)

E.g.: None of the boys is here.
None of the boys are here. (informal)
None of the people I met were English. (plural verb is more usual in spoken English)

None of + noncount Noun + Singular Verb

E.g.: None of this money is mine.
None of the equipment is made in Vietnam.

7. Neither of + Plural Noun/ Pronoun + singular V/ plural V

E.g.: Neither of the restaurants we went to was (or were) expensive.
Neither of the children wants (or want) to go to bed.
Neither of us is (or are) married.

8. Noun clause (clauses begin with that , question words, if/whether) + Singular V
E.g.: That the world is round (be) is a fact.
How much money you get (depend) depends entirely on your individual circumstances.
What she told him the other day (be) was the truth.

9. Title of a book/ newspaper/ film + singular V

E.g.: “Sleeples Nights”(be) is a detective novel.

10. Anyone/ Anybody/ Anything/ Everyone/ Everybody/ Everything/ Everywhere/ Someone/

Somebody/ Something/ Somewhere/ No one/ Nobody/ nowhere + Singular V
E.g.: Somebody (be) is knocking on the door.

11.

C. PLURAL VERB:
1. S1 AND S2 + Plural Verb
E.g.: Emma and Bella are going on vacation.
The famous writer and actor (be) is visiting us on Monday.
The writer and the actor (be) are visiting us on Monday.

2. People/ Police/ Cattle/ Sheep/ Poultry/ The poor/ The rich/ The Japanese/ The English +
Plural V
E.g: Cattle (be) are allowed to graze on the village.
The police (has) have been called.
The rich (get) get richer.

D. PLURAL OR SINGULAR VERB

1. Either or
 Neither + S1 + nor + S2 + V (agrees with S2)
Not only but also
E.g: Neither my sister nor my brothers have to work in an office.
Neither my brothers nor my sister has to work in an office.

2. S1 + accompanied by + S2 + V (agrees with S1)

together with
along with
as well as
in addition to
other than
apart from
except
with
like/ unlike
E.g.: Jim together with Tom is going fishing.
All the chapters other than the first are well-written.

2. Group Ns (family, crowd, class, committee, government, etc.) + Singular V (regarded as a unit)
club, choir, orchestra, jury, union, staff, + Plural V (regarded as members of a group)
audience, couple, public, team, faculty, group
E.g.: My family is large. It is composed of nine members.
My family is loving and supporter. They are always ready to help me.
The government is planning many changes. (AmE)
The government are planning many changes. (BE)
The class (not understand) don’t understand what the teacher is saying.
The younger generation (not know) don’t know what hard work is.

3. A number of + Plural N + Plural Verb

The number of + Plural N + Singular Verb
E.g: The number of boys in our class (be) is eleveln.
A number of studnets (br) were late for class.

4. Some of
A lot of / Lots of
Plenty of + Singluar Noun  Singular Verb
Fractions
Percentages
All of Plural Noun  Plural Verb
Most of
The majority of

E.g.: Two-thirds of the money is mine.

Two-thirds of the pennies are mine.
Some of the book is good.
Some of the books are good.
A lot of the equipment is new.
A lot of my friends are here.

5. Trousers, glasses, scissors, shoes, shorts, etc, + Plural Verb

A pair of glasses/ trousers/ scissors/ shoes/ shorts + Singular Verb
E.g.: A pair of glasses (cost) costs quite a lot these days.
Two pairs of trousers (be) are still at the cleaner’s.

6. Languages: Vietnamese, Chinese, English, Italian + Singular Verb

People: The Vietnamese, the Chinese, the English + Plural Verb
E.g.: The Japanese (say) are said to be industrious and self – disciplined.

7. There + BE + Object (Verb TO BE agrees with the object followed)

E.g.: There is a pair of trousers in the wardrobe.
There are two men standing outside.

8. Inversion after adverbial phrases of direction and place

Adverbial phrases of direction and place + VERB (Verb agress with the following subject) + Subject
E.g.:Dave began to open the three parcels. Inside the first (be) was a book of crosswords from his aunt Alice.
On the slope (lie) lies the ruin of the tree.
Up (go) goes the price of petrol.
EXERCISE ON SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

1. A nice girl with four of her friends (sing) _________________ when I entered.
2. A number of unfortunate events (happen) __________________ in the last few months.
3. Air as well as water (need) ________________ to make plants grow.
4. Almost all of our steel (be) ____________ imported.
5. Around the corner to the right (be) ____________ the rooms assigned to that program.
6. Beans and peas are good value. The former (seem) ___________ to be cheaper than the latter.
7. Because I have gained weight, neither my old suits nor my new shirt (fit) ________ me.
8. Bringing up a child (be) ___________ the task of both parents.
9. Darts (often play) _____________ in pubs.
10. Both the teacher and his students (have) ____________ been working hard for the next contest.
11. Each member in both groups (assign) ___________ a topic.
12. Early to bed and early to rise (make) ___________ a man healthy.
13. Every effort and attempt (have) _________ to be made for the success of the whole project.
14. Every one of the boys and girls in the school (know) _________ what to do if the fire alarm rings.
15. Fifty dollars (be) _________ too much to pay for that stuff.
16. Flying in the sky (be) _______ a flock of birds.
17. Four hundred meters to run (appear) ___________ to be four kilometers for such a man at his age.
18. Growing in the middle of my flower bed (be) ________ some wild chilly trees.
19. He decides to major in economics, which in his opinion (be) ________ an interesting subject.
20. I’m afraid neither day (be) _________ possible.
21. It (be) _________ my two friends who (be) ____________ hurt in the fight last night.
22. It’s obvious that neither you nor I (be) _________ responsible for that accident.
23. Japanese (be) ________ very difficult for English speakers to learn.
24. More than one person (know) ___________ the news.
25. Most of my physics tests (do) _________ badly last semester.
26. Most of us (have) ___________ experienced sorrow in our lives.
27. Mumps (be) __________ an infectious disease which can sometimes be dangerous.
28. My friend Luan, together with others, (be) _________ going to help me with my debts.
29. Nearly 40% of the people in our town never (vote) _________ in local elections.
30. Neither my colleagues nor I (be) ______ particularly interested in the training course next month.
31. Nothing (have)_____ changed since I left here 5 years ago.
32. Nowhere have I known (be) ________ better than this place.
33. On the front page of the newspaper issued last week (be) _______ these stories about my success.
34. One of the cars which (tow) _____________ away by the police (belong)_________ to me.
35. Over two-thirds of the articles in this newspaper (focus) ___________ on the corruption within
the police force.
36. Practice (make)_________ perfect.
37. The author and lecturer (be) ___________ arriving tonight.
38. The coach, but not the players, (be) ________ responsible for the last failure.
39. The effects of smoking (be) __________ extremely harmful.
40. The government (have) _________ reduced taxes on electrical appliances so as to stimulate
purchases.
41. The increasing use of foreign goods (be) _________ a menace to the country.
42. The Lucky Star is a TV series which (attract) ________ many young viewers.
43. The majority of the students (agree) ________ not to study more hours.
44. The manager, as well as his assistants, (not arrive)________________ yet.
45. The number of students in the class (be) __________ limited to 15.
46. The old in my country (look) ____________ after by their children.
47. The partial deaf (have)__________ to use hearing aids.
48. The secretary and treasurer of the club (be) ________ Mr. Thompson, a forty-year-old man.
49. The teaching staff (be) __________ discussing ways to improve the quality of their teaching.
50. The United States (be) _______ a rich and powerful nation.
51. The worrying fact is what many species (be) ________ now threatened with extinction.
52. There (be) ________ too much rain last summer.
53. They are trying to find someone who (be) _________ responsible for the misapproriation of the
fund.
54. There days without you (seem) ___________ to e three centuries.
55. Three-fourths of the roof (have) _________ been painted.
56. Two and four (equal) ________ six.
57. What in the world (have) ___________ my children been doing?
58. Working twelve hours a day (make) ________ her exhausted.
59. It is essential that vitamins (supply) _______ either by foods or by supplementary tablets for
normal rowth to occur.
60. As demand increases, manufacturers who previously produced only a large, luxury car (compel)
______ to make a smaller model in order to compete in the market.