Subject - Verb Agreement

• Subject 


  Is a part of a sentence that contains the person or thing performing the action.
• Verb 


  Is a word that denotes an action.
• Subject - Verb Agreement 


  The verb of a sentence must agree with the subject in number and person.
• Rule # 1


  If the subject is singular, the verb will also be singular. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb will also be plural.
• Rule # 2


  If the subject is an uncountable noun, the verb will be singular.
• Rule # 3


  If the subject is two nouns joined by 'and' the verb will be plural.
• Rule # 4


  If the subject us followed by expressions like 'along with' , 'accompanied by' , 'together with' , or 'as well as'; the verb will be singular if the subject is singular and plural if the subject is plural.
• Rule # 5


  If the subject is an indefinite noun, the verb will be singular.
• Rule # 6


  If a subject is a plural noun like 'scissors' ,  'trousers' , 'eyeglasses' and 'jeans' , the verb will be plural.
• Rule # 7 


  • None + singular verb

  • None of the [ singular noun ] + singular verb

  • None of the [ plural noun ] + plural verb
• Rule # 8


  The noun that comes after the correlative conjunction ( e.g. 'either' ... or, 'neither ... nor' ) or the coordinating conjunction ( e.g. 'or' , 'nor' ) is the subject of the sentence. If this noun is singular, the verb will also be singular. Similarly, if the noun is plural, the verb will also be plural.
• Rule # 9

  If the sentence begin with 'here' or 'there' , the verb goes before the subject and agrees with it.
• Rule # 10


  If the subject is a collective noun, the verb will be singular.
• General Rule

  A singular subject always takes a singular verb.

  A plural subject always takes a plural verb.