RULES

• RULE 1: In sentences beginning with "there is" or "there are", the subject follows the verb. Since "there" is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.

  • There is little administrative support about her situation
  • There are many factors affecting teacher retention.
• RULE 2: A collective noun acting as a single unit takes a singular verb.

  • The group meets every week.
  • The committee participates in various volunteer activities.
• RULE 3: A few indefinite pronouns such as ALL, ANY, NONE, and SOME may be singular or plural DEPENDING on the noun or pronoun they refer to.

  • Some of the apples were solid.
  • Some of the flour was spilled.
• RULE 4: Fractions may take singular or plural verbs depending on the of-phrase.

  • Two-thirds of the school's population speaks Pangalatok.
  • Two-thirds of the children are in grade school.
• RULE 5: Words or phrases expressing periods of time, weight, measurement, and amounts of money are usually regarded as singular.

  • Five years is a long engagement period.
  • Five thousand pesos is the prize money.
• RULE 6: When the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by AND, use a plural verb.

  • The doctoral student and the committee members write everyday.
• RULE 7: Adjectives used as subjects take plural verbs.

  • The brave are honored.
• RULE 8: Intervening words like TOGETHER WITH, IN ADDITION TO, ALONG WITH, AS WELL AS, including and similar constructions following the subject do not affect the number of the subject.

  • The student, as well as the committee members, is excited.
• RULE 9: When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by OR or NOR, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.

  • The students or the committee members write everyday.
  • The committee members or the student writes everyday.
• RULE 10: The words and phrases EACH, EACH ONE, EITHER, NEITHER, EVERYONE, EVERYBODY, ANYONE, ANYBODY, NOBODY, SOMEBODY, SOMEONE, and NO ONE are singular and require a singular verb.

  • Each of the participants was willing to be recorded.
  • Neither alternative hypotheses was accepted.
  • No one was available to meet with me at the preferred time.