Grade 12: Handout #3

Subject-Verb Agreement: Subject-verb agreement means that a subject and its verb must be
both singular or both plural: A singular subject takes a singular verb. A plural subject takes a
plural verb
1. When the subject of a sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by
and, use a plural verb.
She and her friends are at the fair.
2. When two or more singular nouns or pronouns are connected by or or nor, use a singular verb.
The book or the pen is in the drawer.
3. 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 nearer the verb.
The boy or his friends run every day. His friends or the boy runs every day.
4. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb. The verb agrees
with the subject, not with a noun or pronoun in the phrase.
The essay, including the footnotes, is boring.
The man with the dogs walks down my street.
One of the boxes is open
The people who listen to that music are few.
5. The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody,
somebody, someone, no one, much, and many a are singular and require a singular verb.
Thewords both, few, many, others, and several always require a plural verb. None can be used
with either a singular or a plural verb, but the plural is preferred.
Each of these hot dogs is juicy.
Everybody knows Mr. Jones.
Many a person wants to improve conditions.
Many people choose to stay home.
None of the reporters were able to interview the defendant.
Note: Two compound indefinite pronouns joined by and require a singular verb.
Anyone and everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Note: Compound subjects modified by each, every, or many a require a singular verb, but when
each follows a plural subject, the verb is plural.
Each manager and assistant manager has an idea to increase productivity.
They each own their own home.
6. Nouns such as civics, mathematics, dollars, measles, and news require singular verbs.
The news is on at six.
Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about a total amount, the subject requires a
singular verb, but when referring to a number of individual units, a plural verb is required.
Dollars are often used instead of rubles in Russia. Five dollars is a lot of money.
7. All, any, more, most, and some or fractional expressions (one-half of, a part of, a majority of)
take either a singular or plural verb depending on the number of the noun following of.
Some of the book lacks suspense. Some of the letters were not answered.
8. A gerund (-ing), an infinitive, or a phrase acting as the subject of a sentence requires a singular
verb.
Seeing is believing.
Whoever votes for him is voting for a winner.
To know him is to love him.
9. The pronouns who and that can be either singular or plural, so it is necessary to find the
number of the noun to which the who or that refers.
Michener is an author who writes epic novels. He is one of the few people who attend the opera.
10. Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs.
These scissors are dull. This pair of scissors is dull.
11. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb.
There are many questions. There is a question.
12. When the parts of a subject refer to one entity, idea, or person, the subject requires a singular
verb. Turkey and Swiss cheese is my favorite sandwich.
The winner and new president is Joan Richardson.
13. Collective nouns (group, team, committee, class, family) are words that imply more than one
person and are considered singular by most Americans. (The British tend to use a plural verb
with a collective noun.)
The team runs during practice.
The family has a long history.
The committee decides how to proceed.
My family has never been able to agree.
Subject-Verb Agreement Exercises
Choose the correct answers.

1. Either the physicians in this hospital or the chief administrator (is/are) going to have to make a
decision
2. (Is/Are) my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this grievance?
3. Some of the votes (seem/seems) to have been miscounted.
4. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring (is/are) more than just a nuisance.
5. Everyone selected to serve on this jury (has/have) to be willing to give up a lot of time.
6. Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, (presents/present) a formidable opponent on the
basketball court.
7. He seems to forget that there (is/are) things to be done before he can graduate.
8. There (has/have) to be some people left in that town after yesterday's flood.
9. Some of the grain (appears/appear) to be contaminated.
10. Three-quarters of the students (is/are) against the tuition hike.
11. Three-quarters of the student body (is/are) against the tuition hike.
12. A high percentage of the population (is/are) voting for the new school.
13. A high percentage of the people (is/are) voting for the new school.
14. George and Tamara (doesn't/don't) want to see that movie.
15. One of my sisters (is/are) going on a trip to France.
16. The man with all the birds (live/lives) on my street.
17. The movie, including all the previews, (take/takes) about two hours to watch.
18. The players, as well as the captain, (want/wants) to win.
19. Either answer (is/are) acceptable.
20. Every one of those books (is/are) fiction.
21. Nobody (know/knows) the trouble I've seen.
22. (Is/Are) the news on at five or six?
23. Mathematics (is/are) John's favorite subject, while Civics (is/are) Andrea's favorite subject.
24. Eight dollars (is/are) the price of a movie these days.
25. (Is/Are) the tweezers in this drawer?
26. Your pants (is/are) at the cleaner's.
27. There (was/were) fifteen candies in that bag. Now there (is/are) only one left!
28. The committee (debates/debate) these questions carefully.
29. The committee (leads/lead) very different lives in private.
30. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is/are) in this case.