Subject-Verb Agreement: Rules, Examples and Exercises

What is subject-verb agreement?

The subject is the person, thing or idea that performs the action or is described by the verb.

The dog barks every morning.

The subject is the dog, and the verb is barks.

In the present simple, most verbs use the base form with plural subjects and add -s or -es with third-person singular subjects.

I work.
You work.
We work.
They work.
He works.
She works.

The verb be has separate singular and plural forms:

I am ready.

She is ready.

They are ready.

In the past simple, most verbs do not change according to the subject:

She worked yesterday.

They worked yesterday.

However, the past form of be changes:

He was tired.

They were tired.

Subject-verb agreement is therefore most visible with present simple verbs and forms of be. Most subject-verb agreement changes occur in the present simple. Review the present simple tense for third-person forms, questions, negatives and the verbs be and have.

Singular and plural subjects

A singular subject refers to one person, thing or idea.

The lesson starts at nine.

My brother lives in London.

This book contains useful exercises.

A plural subject refers to more than one.

The lessons start at nine.

My brothers live in London.

These books contain useful exercises.

Ignore words between the subject and verb

The verb must agree with the main subject, not with a nearby noun.

The box of books is heavy.

The main subject is box, not books.

The students in my evening class are preparing for an exam.

The main subject is students, not class.

Other examples:

The quality of these products has improved.

A group of tourists was waiting outside.

The problems with the new system appear serious.

A useful method is to identify the complete subject and then find its main noun. Relative clauses can also place several words between a subject and its main verb. Our guide to relative clauses explains how these clauses identify nouns and add extra information.

Subjects joined by and

Two subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb.

Sarah and James work together.

The kitchen and bathroom need cleaning.

However, use a singular verb when the two words describe one combined idea, dish or unit.

Fish and chips is a popular British meal.

Slow and steady wins the race.

The intended meaning determines whether the subject is treated as one idea or two separate things.

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Indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things without identifying them specifically.

The following indefinite pronouns normally take singular verbs:

• anybody
• anyone
• anything
• each
• either
• everybody
• everyone
• everything
• neither
• nobody
• no one
• nothing
• somebody
• someone
• something

Everyone is ready.

Each of the students has a notebook.

Nobody knows the answer.

Something smells strange.

The phrase after of does not control the verb.

Each of the books contains an answer key.

Not:

Each of the books contain an answer key.

Some indefinite pronouns take plural verbs:

• both
• few
• many
• several

Both are correct.

Several of the students have applied.

Other words can be singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to:

• all
• any
• most
• none
• some

Some of the water is missing.

Water is uncountable and singular.

Some of the documents are missing.

Documents is plural.

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Collective nouns

A collective noun refers to a group of people or things.

Common examples include:

• audience
• committee
• company
• family
• government
• staff
• team

In British English, collective nouns can take either singular or plural verbs depending on the meaning.

Use a singular verb when you view the group as one unit:

The team is playing well.

The government has announced a new policy.

Use a plural verb when you focus on the individual members:

The team are changing into their uniforms.

The government have disagreed among themselves.

The same distinction can apply to staff:

The staff is responsible for managing the building.

This presents the staff as one organisation.

The staff are discussing their individual concerns.

This focuses on the people within the group.

Consistency is important. Do not switch unnecessarily between singular and plural references.

Awkward:

The team is confident that they will win.

Clear singular treatment:

The team is confident that it will win.

Clear plural treatment:

The team are confident that they will win.

Either, neither and compound subjects

Either and neither

When either or neither appears alone, it normally takes a singular verb.

Either is acceptable.

Neither has arrived.

The same rule applies to either of and neither of in careful formal English.

Neither of the answers is correct.

Either of these routes takes about an hour.

Plural verbs are sometimes heard in informal speech, especially after neither of, but singular agreement is safer in formal writing.

Either...or and neither...nor

With subjects joined by either...or or neither...nor, the verb often agrees with the subject closest to it.

Either the manager or the employees are responsible.

Either the employees or the manager is responsible.

Neither the teachers nor the head teacher was available.

Neither the head teacher nor the teachers were available.

When possible, arrange the sentence so the agreement sounds natural, or rewrite it to avoid an awkward structure.

As well as, together with and along with

Expressions such as as well as, together with and along with do not usually create a plural subject.

The manager, along with two assistants, is attending the event.

Daniel, as well as his parents, has received an invitation.

The verb agrees with the first subject.

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There is and there are

In sentences beginning with there, the true subject appears after the verb.

Use there is before a singular or uncountable subject:

There is a problem.

There is some information on the website.

Use there are before a plural subject:

There are several problems.

There are two emails waiting for you.

In informal speech, people sometimes use there’s before plural nouns:

There’s two people outside.

This is common in conversation, but formal writing should use:

There are two people outside.

When a list follows, agreement is often based on the first item:

There is a laptop and two notebooks on the desk.

However, rewriting the sentence can sound clearer:

A laptop and two notebooks are on the desk.

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Difficult agreement cases

Titles, subjects and names

A title or name may appear plural but refer to one work, subject or organisation.

Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens.

Mathematics is my strongest subject.

The United States has a large population.

Amounts, distances and periods of time

Use a singular verb when an amount is treated as one total unit.

Ten pounds is enough.

Five kilometres is too far to walk.

Three years is a long time to wait.

Use a plural verb when emphasising separate items or periods.

Three years have passed since the company opened.

Percentages and fractions

The verb agrees with the noun following of.

Fifty per cent of the building is empty.

Fifty per cent of the rooms are empty.

One third of the cake has been eaten.

One third of the students have finished.

Nouns that are always plural

Some nouns normally take plural verbs:

• clothes
• glasses
• jeans
• police
• scissors
• trousers

The police are investigating the incident.

These trousers are too long.

The scissors are in the drawer.

Use a pair of with a singular verb:

This pair of trousers is too small.

Common mistakes

Agreeing with the nearest noun

Incorrect:

The list of names are on the desk.

Correct:

The list of names is on the desk.

The main subject is list.

Forgetting the third-person singular ending

Incorrect:

Every student need a password.

Correct:

Every student needs a password.

Using a plural verb after everyone

Incorrect:

Everyone are waiting.

Correct:

Everyone is waiting.

Confusing there is and there are

Incorrect:

There is several reasons for the change.

Correct:

There are several reasons for the change.

Treating police as singular

Incorrect:

The police is investigating.

Correct:

The police are investigating.

Ignoring the noun after a percentage

Incorrect:

Sixty per cent of the students is absent.

Correct:

Sixty per cent of the students are absent.

Repeated subject-verb agreement errors can reduce grammatical accuracy in formal and exam writing. IELTS learners should also review the grammar errors that lose marks.

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Exercises and answers

Choose the correct verb form.

1. The box of old photographs is / are in the cupboard.
2. Everyone in the class has / have completed the task.
3. My brother and sister lives / live in Scotland.
4. Neither of these answers is / are correct.
5. There is / are three messages on your phone.
6. The team is / are discussing their individual contracts.
7. Each of the rooms has / have a balcony.
8. Either the teachers or the head teacher is / are attending.
9. Twenty kilometres is / are too far to walk today.
10. The police is / are questioning two witnesses.
11. Some of the information is / are outdated.
12. Some of the files is / are missing.
13. The manager, along with her assistants, is / are preparing the report.
14. Fifty per cent of the building is / are empty.
15. Fifty per cent of the offices is / are empty.

Answers and explanations

1. is
   The main subject is the singular noun box.
2. has
   Everyone takes a singular verb.
3. live
   Two subjects joined by and normally take a plural verb.
4. is
   Neither is singular in careful formal English.
5. are
   The true subject is the plural noun phrase three messages.
6. are
   The sentence focuses on the individual team members and their separate contracts.
7. has
   The subject is each, not rooms.
8. is
   The verb agrees with the nearer subject, the head teacher.
9. is
   The distance is treated as one total amount.
10. are
    Police takes a plural verb.
11. is
    Information is an uncountable singular noun.
12. are
    Files is plural.
13. is
    The additional phrase does not change the singular subject manager.
14. is
    The verb agrees with the singular noun building.
15. are
    The verb agrees with the plural noun offices.

Subject-verb agreement depends on identifying the true subject of the sentence. Ignore distracting nouns in additional phrases, treat indefinite pronouns carefully and decide whether collective nouns refer to one unit or separate members. When the subject is complex, find its main noun before choosing the verb.

Related grammar lessons

• Present Simple Tense: Rules and Exercises
• Relative Clauses: Rules, Examples and Exercises
• Modal Verbs in English: Uses and Exercises