SUBJECT AND VERB AGREEMENT

Ever since we, Filipinos, began schooling, we also started learning English as it is being taught since our kindergarten days --- probably even speaking some English words before entering school. But even with that long time of learning this language, I'm still having a hard time mastering it. I'm trying to convince, myself it is my L2 and it is okay having a hard time learning this, but hey, it's what I am majoring in so I have to learn it well. 

Including this:

21 Subject and Verb Agreement

1. Subjects and verbs must agree in number. Plural noun takes plural verb, while singular noun takes singular verb.

Example: The dog growls when he is angry.

                The dogs growl when they are angry.

These agreement rules do not apply to verbs used in the simple past tense without any helping verbs.

Example:  The girls talked to me. (plural)

                 The girl talked to me. (singular)

The subject-verb agreement rules apply to all personal pronouns except I and you, which, although SINGULAR, require PLURAL forms of verbs.

Example:  I talk to you.

                 You talk to me.

There are nouns that are plural in form but they are actually singular.

Example:  Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Economics

2. The words that come between the subject and the verb do not affect the agreement.

Example:  The dog is chewing on my jeans, is actually very good.

                 The woman, together with her companion, is walking across the street.

3. Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect the agreement.

Example:  The colors of the rainbow are beautiful.

                 The host of the event is the famous comedian Vice Ganda.

4. When the sentences start with "there" or "here", the subject will always be placed after the verb.

Example:   There is a problem with the balance sheet.

                  Here are the papers you requested.

5. Subjects don't always come before verbs in questions.

Example:   Does Lefty usually eat grass?

                  Where are the pieces of this puzzle?

The verb should agree with the subject. So, if the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. And if the subject is plural, then, the verb should be plural.

6. If two subjects are joined by and , they typically require a verb form.

Example:  The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.

                  Kat and her friends are playing UNO cards.

The cow and the pig are two different subject, therefore they require plural verb.

7. The verb is singular if the 2 subjects separated by and  refer to the same person or thing.

Example:  Bread and butter is my favorite breakfast.

                 Red bean and rice is my favorite dish.

                 

8. If the words each, every, or no come before the subject , the verb is singular.

Example: No smoking and drinking is allow.

9. If the subjects are both singular and are concerned by the words or, nor, either/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is singular.

Example:  Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.

10. The only time when the subject of the preposition factors in to the decision of plural or singular verb forms is when noun and pronoun subjects like some, half, none, more, all, etc. are followed by a prepositional phrase. In these sentences, the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.

The object of the preposition should agree with the verb. If the subject is pronoun, look at the form of the object of the preposition.

Example:   All of the chicken is gone.

                  All of the chickens are gone.

11. The singular verb form is usually used for units of measurement.

Example:  Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.

12, If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, the verb is plural.

Example:  Neither the parents nor their children are going on the field trip.

13. If one subject is singular and one plural,and the words are connected by the words or, nor, neither/nor, either/or, and not only/but also, you used the verb form of the subject that is nearest the verb.

Example:  Not only the players but also the coach was in the bus accident.

Refer to the table below for the list of indefinite pronouns:

Singular Indefinite Pronouns	Plural Indefinite Pronouns	Singular/Plural Indefinite Pronouns
Singular Verb	Plural Verb	Sing/Plu Verb
each every either another anybody everybody no one little much one someone something	both few many others several	all a lot any lots more most none plenty some such

14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs.

Example: Neither of the men is working.

15. Except for the pronouns few, many, several, and both.

Example: Few were left alive at the flood.

16. Indefinite pronouns like all, most, some, take either singular or plural form of a verb singular when referring to one thing and plural to several.

Example: All of the equipment are clean and new.

17. Infinitives and gerunds follow the same rule when they are used as a singular subject, they take singular verb. But when linked by "and" takes the plural form.

Example: Breaking and entering is against the law.

In the given example above, "breaking and entering" act as a one unit (singular subject) so we used singular verb.

18. Collective nouns take singular nouns and take singular verbs. When they act as a single unit, they take a plural verb when the members act individually.

Example: The class is reciting a poem.

                The class was asked to give their opinions about the issue.

In the first example sentence, "the class" is reciting a poem as a whole class which is pertaining to a "single" group that is why it needs a singular verb. The second example, however, each student in that particular class is giving his/ her opinion, which means that these students are more than one (1) in number so it has to have a plural verb.

19. Titles of books, movies, songs, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

Example:  Bedknobs and broomsticks was my favorite book as a child.

20. A number        -     plural verb

      The number    -     singular verb

Example:  A number of people are waiting to see you.

                 The number of stars in the sky seem countless.

21. The word were replaces was in the sentences that expresses a "wish" or "are" contrary to fact. 

Example: If Joe were here you'd be sorry.