15 Subject Verb Agreement Rules

Like many other languages, the English language has the concept of "agreement" between subject and verb. The question is what it is. Simply put, the agreement between subject and verb or subject verb agreement refers to agreeing of a verb with its subject in person and number.

There are a number of subject verb agreement rules in the English language most of which are related to number and person of the subject. In other words, the verb must agree or match with the number (how many) and person (first, second and third) of the subject in a sentence.

Learning subject verb agreement rules can be tricky for starters. However, with hard work and consistency, the rules can be mastered and internalized. In this post, we are going to discuss the definition of subject verb agreement and 15 rules related to subject verb agreement.

Pro Tip: The best way to master subject verb agreement rules in English is to take up as many exercises as possible: you must engage in and do a lot of exercises so as to internalize all the essential rules.

What is Subject Verb Agreement Rule?

Subject verb agreement, also known as subject verb concord, is a prominent concept in English grammar that talks about a set of grammatical rules and principles concerning the agreement of verbs with their subjects in number and person. For instance, the verb agrees with the number of subject in "He goes" the person of the subject in "I am a teacher".

15 Subject Verb Agreement Rules

As subject verb agreement is about matching of a verb with its subject, you'll notice that almost all the rules of subject verb agreement are related to singularity and plurality of the verb.

In other words, the rules for subject verb agreement make sure that, if the subject of the sentence is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

Master Rule: A singular subject uses a singular verb, whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Let's jump into the rules:

Rule 1. When "a pair of" or "a couple of" become the subject, a plural verb is used.

Examples:

a. A pair of shoes are in the room.

b. A couple of people have come.

Rule 2. When "the number of" is used as the subject, a singular verb is used.

Examples:

a. The number of people is 20.

b. The number of the students is 10.

Rule 3. When "some of" is used as the subject, either a singular or a plural is used depending on the nouns used afterward.

Examples:

a. Some of the news is fake.

b. Some of students are present.

Rule 4. When we use "all" with an uncountable noun, we use a singular verb.

Examples:

a. All of the news is fake.

b. All of the water of this pond is polluted.

Rule 5. When "all" is used with a countable plural subject, it takes a plural verb.

Examples:

a. All of the workers are here.

b. All of the students are present.

Rule 6. When we use "or" to connect two or more singular subjects, a singular verb is used.

Examples:

a. The pen or the book is yours.

Rule 7. When "or" joins two or more plural subjects, a plural verb is used.

Examples:

a. The pens or the books are yours.

Rule 8. When the phrase "the majority of" is used, the verb is used according to the noun used after "of".

Examples:

a. The majority of the students are absent.

b. The majority of the team is playing.

Rule 9. When the subjects are phrased with the "either....or" and "neither....nor", the verb agrees with the nearest subject.

a. Either the students or teacher is coming.

b. Either the student or the teachers are coming.

c. Neither the students nor the teacher is coming.

d. Neither student nor the teachers are coming.

Rule 10. We use a plural verb when a singular and a plural subject is joined by "and".

Examples:

a. The pen and the books are mine.

b. The book and the pens are mine.

Rule 11. When we use a phrase as the subject of a sentence, the verb agrees with the head word of the phrase.

Examples:

a. The pen on the table is mine.

b. The pens on the table are mine.

Rule 12. When the phrase "one of" is used, the verb is singular because it refers to one of many countable nouns.

Examples:

a. One of the students has left the book here.

b. One of the teachers is required.

Rule 13. When a fraction is used as the subject, the verb is used depending on the noun used afterward.

Examples:

a. One-third of the students are here.

b. Two-third of the pizza has been eaten.

Rule 14. When the phrase "more than one" is used as the subject of the sentence, a singular verb is used.

Examples:

a. More than one student is here.

b. More than one teacher is required.

Rule 15. A compound subject that represents one single thing takes a singular verb.

Examples:

a. Bread and butter is essential for humans.

b. The founder and CEO of the company is here.