Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular subjects go with singular verbs while plural subjects go with plural verbs.
Match your subject with the correct verb form.
Have you ever wondered why we say She looks very pretty and not She look very pretty? The answer lies in
grammar rules on concord, or subject-verb agreement. The basic rule is that
singular verbs must agree with singular nouns, while plural verbs must agree
with plural nouns. What is a noun? It is a word to name people, places, events, things or ideas.
E.g.
•
teacher, Orchard Road, party, basket, beauty.
How do you recognise a singular or plural verb?
A singular verb is
one that has an s added to it in the
present tense, such as writes, plays,
runs, and uses forms such as is, was,
has, does. A plural verb does not have an s added to it, such as write,
play, run, and uses forms such as are,
were, have and do.
E.g.
•
Jack (singular noun) enjoys (singular verb) playing golf every Sunday.
•
The men (plural noun) enjoy (plural verb) playing golf every Sunday.
In the case of
pronouns, he, she and it take a
singular verb while you, we and they take a plural verb.
We (plural pronoun) think (plural verb) that she (singular pronoun) is (singular verb) innocent.
However, there are exceptions to the rules
mentioned earlier.
If the two nouns
are conjoined and represent a single idea, then the verb is singular.
E.g.
•
Bread and butter is available on request.
•
Fish and chips is my favourite meal.
•
Law and order is
the new government’s priority.
Problems also arise
when the speaker or writer is faced with more than one noun or pronoun in the
sentence.
E.g.
•
The quality of our students’ essays has fallen drastically.
In this case, the
verb has
fallen agrees with the subject (first noun mentioned) or head noun of
the noun phrase, quality.
E.g.
•
The spokes of that wheel are broken.
In this case, the subject of the sentence is spokes (plural head noun), hence the plural verb are.
When a singular and a plural noun or pronoun
(subjects) are joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the
subject nearer the verb.
E.g.
•
The girls or their father collects the newspapers every morning.
In this example,
the singular verb, collects, agrees with
the noun closer to it, the singular noun, father.
People often get
confused when deciding whether a singular or plural verb should agree with some
collective nouns.
E.g.
Should we say
•
The football team is (singular verb) ready to be photographed.
Or
• The football team are (plural verb) ready to be photographed.
Well, it all depends on whether we are thinking
of the team as a single collective unit or as individuals. If it is the former,
then the verb should be singular. However, if we are considering the team as
comprising individual members who are not acting as a single unit, then we use
the plural verb.
Other examples:
•
My family (considered
as a collective unit) comes from Kuala Lumpur.
•
The audience (considered
as individuals) were clamouring for more songs
but the singer left the stage.
•
The Committee is ready to present its findings this afternoon.
A point to note is
that American English almost always treats collective nouns as singular, hence
a singular verb is used with it.
Nouns which have
two parts such as spectacles, scissors
or pants require plural verbs.
E.g.
•
My spectacles are missing.
•
These scissors need sharpening.
However, when regarded as a pair, a singular
verb is used.
E.g.
•
My pair
of spectacles is missing.
•
This pair
of scissors needs sharpening.
There are some
occasions when we should use singular verbs.
Expressions such as
each of, one of, anybody, each, every
and nobody must be followed by a
singular verb.
E.g.
•
Each of the ladies has a designer handbag.
•
Anybody is allowed to enter
this hall.
•
Nobody is disappointed with
the results.
A singular subject
with attached phrases introduced by with or like or as well as is followed by a singular verb.
E.g.
•
The boy,
with several others, was late for
school.
•
Meiling, like Johan, is tall for her age.
•
Tom, as well as Fred, is on the first shift.
Two
singular nouns or pronouns separated by either
... or or neither ... nor take a
singular verb.
E.g.
•
Either he or she has eaten the cake.
•
Neither Meera nor Gopal knows anything about the accident.
Amounts, even if plural, have a singular verb.
E.g.
•
Sixty dollars is too much to pay for that dress.
•
Ten kilometres is too long a distance for me to walk.
•
Five kilogrammes of flour is all that I need for my baking.
There are some
occasions when we should use plural verbs. When two or more plural subjects
are connected by and, the verb is plural.
E.g.
•
The officers and their men were patrolling the area.
•
Domestic cats and dogs need adequate care and attention.
Plural subjects separated by either ... or or neither ... nor, both ... and, and all but take a plural verb.
E.g.
•
Either the boys or the girls are to blame.
•
Neither the contestants nor the audience were aware of
the fire.
•
All but Sam are going to the cinema.
•
Both the twins and their
parents are attending their
graduation ceremony.
Another problem that users of English face is
this: does the verb in a sentence agree with the noun (subject) before it or
the noun or adjective after it (subject complement)?
The answer is that
it should agree with the subject – the noun before it.
E.g.
•
The thing
(subject)
we need at this moment is (verb) more eggs.
•
The greatest
benefit (subject) is
(verb) the opportunities presented to
our staff.
