LET Reviewer: Subject Verb Agreement Rules

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

Rule 1 - Singular subjects take singular verbs. Plural subjects take plural verbs.

1. The bee BUZZES every night.
2. The bees BUZZ every night.
3. She HAS a new book.
4. We HAVE many things in common.
5. He IS our mentor and adviser.

Note: The Pronouns I and You always take a plural verb.

1. I ENJOY being with my friends.
2. You ARE so beautiful.
3. I LIKE you a lot.

Rule 2 – Compound subjects or subjects joined by “and” take a plural verb.

1. My father and my brother VISIT me every year.
2. Juan and Ana SERVE in their lunch.
3. Charles and James WERE busy last week.

Rule 3 – When the subject words are joined by or, neither/nor, either/or & not only/but, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

1. Your father or your sisters ARE going to take care of Anna.
2. Your sisters or your father IS going to take care of Anna.
3. Either her friend or her mother HAS the money.
4. Neither her uncle nor her aunts HAVE the money.

Rule 4 – The indefinite pronouns: no one, anyone, everyone, someone, anybody, everybody, somebody, nobody, anything, everything, something, are always singular. They take singular verb.

1. No one IS above the law.
2. Everyone HAS the right to education.
3. Everything HAPPENS for a reason.

While indefinite pronouns like both, many, several, few, others, are always plural.

1. Many singers FIND it easy to release their stress.
2. Several of the trees WERE cut down.
3. Few of our members DON'T want to participate.

Some indefinite pronouns like all, any, more, most, none, & some can be singular or plural depending on what the indefinite pronoun refers to.

1. All of the people clapped THEIR hands.
2. Some of the newspaper WAS soaked.
3. Most of the cars WERE stolen yesterday.

Rule 5 – When a group of words or modifiers separate the subject and the verb, locate the subject word to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb.

1. The flowers in the pot on the balcony NEED watering.
2. The rock at the top of the hill LOOKS amazing.

Rule 6 – phrases like together with, along with, as well as, accompanied by, in addition to, do not affect the subject.

1. Rica, together with her friends, GOES to a party every weekend.
2. Danna and Gemma, together with their father, GO to church every weekend.

Rule 7 – Modifiers between the subject and the verb does not affect the number of the subject.

1. Juan, who is a father of four, IS currently working as a firefighter.
2. A dog, which lives on the street, HAS the tendency to have rabies.

Rule 8 – Some nouns (collective nouns) can be used as a singular or plural depending on the context and usage.

1. Rica’s family PLANS to go on a vacation this summer.
2. The staff HAVE gone their separate ways after the meeting.

Rule 9 – Uncountable nouns or nouns that can’t be counted takes a singular verb.

1. Too much sugar WAS put in this coffee.
2. Money IS the root of all problem.
3. Honesty IS the best policy.

Rule 10 – There are nouns that end in s that are always considered as singular.

1. The news about her death IS spreading very fast.
2. Mathematics IS a very difficult subject.
3. Diabetes IS not a curable disease.

Rule 11 – Fractional expressions half of, part of, portion of, may take singular or plural verbs depending if the noun that is being referred to is countable or not.

1. Half of the audience ARE asleep because of his boring speech.
2. A portion of his wealth WAS donated to cancer patients.

Rule 12 – In inverted sentences especially those that use “here” and “there”, the subject follows the verb.

1. Here ARE the towels that you need.
2. A good snack IS a salad.
3. There ARE houses under the bridge.