Subject-Verb Agreement

The basic principle governing subject-verb agreement is simple: singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. Generally students have no difficulty in following this principle. However, there are a few situations which leave even experienced writers somewhat uncertain. The following rules cover most of such situations. 1. When two or more singular subjects are connected by and, a plural form of the verb is required. A fool and his money are soon parted. He and his brother are identical twins.
Exceptions

(i) When each of the singular subjects is considered individually, the singular form of the verbs is used. This usage is most frequent after each or every. Here, every man and woman seeks selffulfilment by serving the community. (ii) When the two singular subjects refer to the same person. My brother and boss has something to say about this matter.

(iii) Mathematical computations may take a singular or a plural verb. Five and five is ten. Five and five are ten. 2. When two or more singular subjects are connected by or, nor, or but, a singular form of the verb is required . Ahmad or Iqbal is to represent the country. Neither Ahmad nor Iqbal has a clean record. Not Ahmad but Iqbal was involved in the forgery case. 3. When one of the two subjects connected by or, nor, or but, is singular and the other is plural, the verb agrees in number with the nearer one. Neither Iqbal nor his lawyers were present in the court when the judgement was announced. Not only the students but also their teacher was feeling drowsy in the afternoon class. 4. When two subjects connected by or or nor differ in person, the verb agrees with the nearer. Neither Ahmad nor I am to blame. Ahmad or you are to clear up this muddle. 5. A singular subject followed immediately by as well as, in addition to, including, no less than, with,

together with or a similar construction requires a singular verb. 1. The husband as well as the wife needs advice. 2. This invention, as well as its commercial applications, was the result of this research effort. 3. The coach together with his assistants was credited with the outstanding performance of the team. This convention sometimes seems illogical. There is a tendency, therefore, to avoid the construction altogether and use alternative ones. Both the husband and the wife need advice. The coach and his assistants were credited with the outstanding performance of the team. 6. A singular subject followed by a plural modifier requires a singular verb. The attitude of these men is definitely hostile. A list of the names of all survivors is available. 7. Such indefinite pronouns as anybody, anyone, each other, everybody, neither, nobody, no one, and some body generally require a singular verb. 1. Anybody who does that is just reckless. 2. Somebody has been raiding my refrigerator.

3. Nobody in the office accepts responsibility for this. 8. The pronouns any and none take either singular or plural verbs. None is expected to come during the vacation. None are expected to come during the vacation. 9. When the subject is a relative pronoun, the verb agrees with the antecedent of that pronoun. (The one-of-those-who cases) He is one of those men who never care for the feelings of others. This is one of those problems which defy any solutions. One of the girls who sing in the drama is being married. 10. When a sentence is introduced by the expletive there or the adverb here, the verb agrees with the following subject, not with the introductory word. Here is your money. Here are the receipts for your deposits. There are no second chances. 11. When a sentence is introduced by the expletive it, the verb is always singular, regardless of the number of the subject. It is we whom they want.

12. A verb agrees with its subject and not with its complement. 1. Our chief trouble was the honey bees that swarmed around us on the trip. 2. The black flies that swarmed about us on our trip were our chief trouble. 3. What annoys me about them is their unending complaints. 13. A collective noun takes a singular verb when the class it names is considered as a unit, a plural verb when the members of the class are considered individually. The jury has completed its deliberations. The jury are divided in their opinions. The committee has already held its first meeting of the year. The committee are arguing amongst themselves. Sentences like the last one often sound unnatural, and it is better to substitute a clearly plural subject (the committee members, the jury members) 14. Plural numbers take a singular verb when they are used in a phrase to indicate a sum or a unit. A million dollars is a great deal of money. Ten years is too long to wait.

15. Certain names which are plural in form but singular in meaning generally take a singular verb. Economics has been called the dismal science. No news is good news. Semantics is the study of meanings.

Exercise

Identify the subject of each of the following sentences and select the verb form that agrees with it. 1. He is one of those people who (is, are) always making trouble. 2. All (is, are) well. 3. There (is, are) two mistakes in your work. 4. The father no less than the children (is, are) to blame. 5. The gangster, with all his henchmen, (were, was) arrested. 6. There (is, are) an apple and an orange for each child. 7. Here (is, are) a piece of cake and a glass of milk.

8. Two hundred pounds (were, was) his best weight. 9. (Is, are) there two pictures like that? 10. The engine in addition to the body (was, were) in bad shape.
Exercise

Rewrite the following sentences to remove any subject-verb disagreement, or to improve any awkward construction caused by following established conventions too closely. Some sentences may be satisfactory as they are: a. Neither of the applicants are fully qualified. b. The cost of food, clothing, and household goods have risen so steeply during the last couple of years. c. He is one of those men who is seen at all functions and parties in the town. d. There is, I believe, two or three things we must check while employing a domestic servant. e. Not only his grades but even his behaviour were much below the required standards. f. The extent of his injuries are yet to be determined.

g. The Gymkhana Club led the league at the beginning of the season and are now at the third place. h. Either Ahmad or I am going to represent the Institute in the Punjab University debates. i. One of the students who scores A grades in all the courses will be awarded a scholarship. j. The works of such a poet contains something for each one of us. k. There has never been any reports which were made public. l. This is one of those questions that has more than one correct answers. m. Neither the students nor their teacher find the timetable very convenient. n. Somebody, perhaps Ahmad or Hamid, have reported the accident to the police. o. All of the wheat produced in the world belong to one of the fourteen species. p. The hockey team buy their own uniform. q. Upon the students rest the responsibility of keeping their hostels clean. r. Physical fitness, as well as psychological health, are taken into account while recruiting cadets for the air force.