In order to write correct grammatical sentences, to provide clarity, and make logical sense of writing, proper understanding subject-verb agreement is unavoidable. Such subject-verb agreement states rules that dictate the correctly matching of verb form and subject’s number. For example, if the subject of a sentence is singular, it is essential to take singular verb. And, if the subject is plural, so should be verb form. In this article, I’m going to provide a detailed account regarding subject-verb agreement.
- He enjoys watching cartoons.
- They like to watch thriller movies.
- Maria is planning to visit Hawaii next week.
- We are celebrating my birthday today.
Subject- verb agreement: meaning, types and example
Meaning of subject-verb agreement
For layman’s understanding, “subject-verb agreement” refers to the correspondence between the subject and the verb in a sentence. Simply put, the verb must agree with the subject in terms of number and person. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too. This may seem straightforward, but it can get tricky when dealing with complex sentence structures or unusual subjects.
Common subject-verb agreement patterns:
Here is the list of common subject verb agreement we most of the time use.
- Singular subject + singular verb: ‘The cat jumps over the fence.’
- Plural subject + plural verb: ‘The cats jump over the fence.’
- Singular subject + auxiliary verb: ‘She is going to the party.’
- Plural subject + auxiliary verb: They are distributing food for the poor.
How to make proper subject-verb Agreement
Now that you have a solid foundation, here are some tips to ensure flawless subject-verb agreement:
1. Subject identification
Pay attention to the noun or pronoun that is the main focus of the sentence. It will determine the form of the verb.
2. Ignore the modifiers
Modifiers such as adjectives or phrases between the subject and the verb can be misleading. Focus on the subject itself.
3. Watch out for compound subjects:
When two or more subjects are joined by ‘and’, the verb should be plural. For example, ‘John and Mary are good friends.’
4. Check for indefinite pronouns:
Words like ‘everyone’ or ‘nobody’ may seem singular, but they actually require a singular verb.
5. Be consistent in your writing
If you begin with a singular subject, ensure that the verb agrees with it throughout the sentence.
Understanding subject verb agreement become essential when we use more than one nouns or pronouns as subject. To determine whether to take singular or plural verb, we need to have proper knowledge of rules to use appropriate verb according to subject.
Simple subject and compound subject in subject-verb agreement pattern
Before to begin describing subject verb agreement, it is indispensable to know the meaning and types of subject.
Compound subject
Sentence is made up of subject and predicate. “Subject” of sentence may be simple or compound. Sometimes, more than one nouns or pronouns are used as subject with the help of “and” conjunction.
Tiger, leopard, and cheetah; deer, rabit, and cow; US, China, and India, etc.are examples of compound subjects.
Simple subject
If the subject is only single noun or pronoun, it is known as simple subject. While, if the subject is made up of more than one nouns or pronouns, it is termed as compound subject.
For example, The sun, the moon, the earth, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean are simple subject.
Linking, action, or auxiliary verbs
Verb is a part of “Predicate” part of the sentence. There are two types of verbs — main verb and auxiliary or helping verbs.
Further, main verb is classified as linking and action verbs. And, auxiliary verbs are classified as primary auxiliary, secondary auxiliary and modal auxiliary.
In sentence, form of verb is determined by the number, gender of the given subject. If the subject is singular, singular verb is taken.
Or, if the subject is plural, the plural form of verb is preferred. This is called subject verb agreement. There are certain rules determining which type of verb is taken when there is singular or plural subject of giving sentence.
Rules, examples and patterns of subject-verb agreement
Here, I’m going to provide important rules to guide where to use singular or plural verb as per the subjects.
Rule 1: Use singular verb for singular subject, and plural verb for plural subject.
If the subject of the given sentence is singular, it is recommended to use singular form of verb. Or, if the given subject is plural or compound, verb should be plural.
- Trump announces trade tariffs.
- People of America are facing challenge of inflation
Some useful examples of singular-singular subject and verb
- Himalaya is a folded mountain.
- Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean in the world.
- The Earth revolves around the sun.
- Cyclone originates in the tropical oceans.
- Fear is a negative emotion.
Examples of plural subject and plural verb
- Students are waiting for teacher.
- Players are playing in the ground.
- Birds are flying in the sky.
- People are worried about the economic slowdown.
Rule 2: Compound subject joined by cumulative conjunction “And” takes plural verb. But, singular is taken with “Or”
If you use more than one nouns or pronouns joined by cumulative conjunction “And” it is suggested to use plural verb. Because, such compound subject is treated as plural subject.
- US and China are the largest trading partners.
- Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam are east Asian countries.
- Carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins are major nutrients.
Examples of “Or” as singular subject
- England or Australia is able to win the trophy.
- Tamil or Telugu is a classical language.
- Black or alluvial soil is better for agriculture.
- Education or family helps to socialize children.
Rule 3: Singular verb is used when there is indefinite pronouns.
As per the rules, indefinite pronouns are treated as singular subject when used in the sentence. Following are some examples of indefinite pronouns. Take a careful look at them.
Examples of indefinite pronouns
- Anybody, anyone
- Anything, each,
- Either, everyone,
- Everything, everybody,
- No one, nobody, nothing,
- Someone, somebody, something.
All the indefinite pronouns are treated as singular used as subject.
- Nobody is ready to participate in competition.
- Everyone is enthusiastic to work for charity.
- Nothing is okay for me.
- Look. Someone is working there.
Rule 4: Rules regarding either..or, neither..nor
Either…or and neither…nor are alternative conjunctions or also called paired correlative conjunctions. In case of use in the subject, it is recommended to use verb as per the noun or pronoun used just before the verb.
Examples of subject with either..or, and neither..nor
- Neither crude oil nor natural gas is adequate to satisfy human needs.
- Neither sugar nor fried rice is good to loose weight.
- Neither my friend nor my students are ready to take part in afforestation.
- Either beans or fruits are good source of nutrients.
- Either urbanisation or deforestation is not good for environment.
There are the examples of either..or and neither.. nor used in the subject.
Rule 5: Abstract noun, material noun, and other uncountable nouns are treated as singular noun. And, so the verb is used accordingly.
- Anger is negative emotion and not good for personality.
- Love is a noble quality of human being.
- Iron is a metal and oxygen is non metal.
- Friendship connects people with each other.
Rule 6 : When period of time, sum of money, and distance is used in the subject, treat it as singular.
- 100 kms is too much distance to make daily travel.
- 5 years is not good bet to prepare for competitive exams.
- 100 rupees is not enough to fulfil daily nutritional need.
These are some important rules describing subject verb agreement. These rules governs the subject verb relationship.
Key takeaways of subject-verb agreement
A short summary of subject verb agreement is essential to memorize or recall major points. It helps to understand the article in short period of time.
- There are two types of subjects –simple and compound.
- Singular verb is taken for singular subject.
- In case of either..or and neither..nor verb is taken according to the noun or pronoun just used before verb.
- Subject connected by “And” always takes plural verb. While, subject joined by “Or” treat subject as singular.
- All indefinite pronouns are treated as singular subject and singular verb is used.
- Abstract noun, material noun and uncountable nouns are treated as singular subject and singular verb is preferred.
- Period of time, amount of money and distance used in subject are treated as singular subject
- In case of noun or pronoun phrases, noun or pronoun is considered just before verb.
- Collective nouns are also treated singular unless they are not used as plural like “team” is singular, while teams are plural.
Last words on understanding subject-verb agreement pattern,
Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental aspect of English grammar, and mastering it will elevate your fluency to new heights. Armed with the knowledge and tips provided in this blog post, you can confidently construct grammatically correct sentences.
Practice regularly to reinforce your understanding, and soon subject-verb agreement will become second nature to you. So, go ahead, embrace this linguistic challenge, and unlock the key to speak fluent English language.
6 cases of pronouns in English
https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/subject-verb-agreement
https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/resources/language-development/vocabulary-and-grammar/forming-subject-verb-agreement