what are the rules of subject verb agreement ?
Answers
A singular subject will have a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject will have a plural verb.
e.g. The list of items is/are on the desk.
A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This can be a key rule for understanding subjects.
A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)
Two singular subjects joined by or or, or neither/nor need a singular verb.
Nor sentence, the verb within an or, either/or, or neither/ agrees with the noun or pronoun.
As a general rule, make use of a plural verb with more or two subjects when they're joined by and.
1. If the grammatical subject of a sentence is singular, it takes a plural verb. For example, Heexercises daily.
2. If the grammatical subject is plural, it takes a singular verb. For example, Theyexercise daily.
3. The grammatical subject, not some other word, always determines the number of the verb. For example, He and his companionsexercise daily.
4. A phrase or clause between subject and verb does not change the number of the subject. For example, Heexercises regularly everyday without taking a rest break.
5. Rule for when verb has ‘s’ at the end
The ‘s’ added after a noun indicates plural. But an ‘s’ after a verb indicates THIRD PERSON SINGULAR i.e. the sentence is in third person and the subject is singular. For e.g: Shegoes to the library every single day.
6. The verb has to agree only with the true, main subject. Not with the intervening plural object of a preposition or any other intervening plural. The box of Nestles chocolates is missing.
RULES FOR PHRASES
4. Subjects joined by ‘AND’ are usually plural and take plural verbs.
His laptop and my ipad were stolen from the desk.
Chennai and Kolkata have very hot weather.
EXCEPTIONS to this rule:
1. If the subject has two singular nouns connected by AND; and both are about the same person / thing, then the verb remains singular.
My best friend and roommate is going to US for a vacation.
Soup and bread is our Sunday breakfast.
When two subjects connected by AND are preceded by ‘each, every or many’, a singular verb is used.
Every chair, table and sofa, every single piece of furniture in the house is up for auction.
Every man and woman in the store is requested to go through the security check.
2. Rule for ‘with, together with, along with, besides, as well as, including, in addition to’
Words like ‘with, together with, along with, besides, as well as, including, in addition to, etc. do not affect the number of the verb. If the main subject is singular, the verb has to be singular; if the subject is plural, the verb has to be plural.
The television, along with the cabinet, is to be sold.
Our chief competitor, as well as ourselves, is obliged to increase the prices.
The decoration of the room, including all the paintings on the walls, is most pleasing.
3. Rule when both singular and plural subjects are present.
If the subject is made up of both singular and plural words connected by or, nor, either – or, neither – nor, not only, but also then the verb agrees with the nearer part of the subject.
Neither the quality nor the prices have changed.
Neither the prices nor the quality has changed.
Neither the salesman nor the buyers are in favor of the system of management.
Neither the buyers nor the salesman is in favor if the system of the management.
4. Rule for neither-nor, either-or & or
If the subject consists of two singular words connected by ‘or, neither- nor, either – or’, the subject is singular and requires a singular verb.
Neither the laptop nor the phone was in working order.
Either January or February is going to be her wedding month.
5. Rule for nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning
Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning such as news, measles, mumps, physics, electronics, tactics, economics and so on usually take singular verbs.
News is traveling faster than ever before.
Physics has fascinated my hostel mate for months.
Some nouns ending in ‘-ics’ such as athletics, statistic and politics are considered singular when referring to an organized body of knowledge and plural when referring to individual facts, qualities or activities.
Athletics provide good recreation. (i.e. various games)
Economics is an important subject for every field of study.
6. . A linking verb usually agrees with its subject, not with its compliment.
Excessive absences were the reason for his failure.
The reason of his failure was excessive absences.
10. Rule for nouns that do not have singular forms
Plural verbs are required for many nouns that have no singular form, such as proceeds, goods, ashes, remains, credentials, premises etc.
The proceeds of the magic show are to be given to the fund for soldier’s welfare.
The goods are being dispatched today by goods train.
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The words in bold above are the verbs. The words in italics are the subject ☺
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