Subject-verb agreement means the verb matches its subject in number: one subject takes a singular verb, more than one takes a plural verb. It is easy in short sentences and easy to break in longer ones, so it matters most when you write reports, articles and extended answers.
It follows choosing articles in grammar for clear meaning because both skills depend on identifying the noun at the centre of the sentence.
How do you find the subject and match the verb?
Work in this order.
- Find the verb. Circle it.
- Ask “who or what” before the verb. That word is the subject.
- Ignore extra phrases. Words such as of the team, along with the coach and in the library do not change the subject.
- Match the verb. One subject: is, has, does, goes. More than one: are, have, do, go.
Some patterns need a fixed rule:
- Each, every, everyone, somebody take a singular verb.
- Two subjects joined by and take a plural verb: Tea and coffee are available.
- There is / there are follows the noun after it: There is a problem. There are two problems.
- Collective nouns such as team or class take a singular verb when treated as one unit: The class is ready.
Worked example
Correct the agreement: The results of the survey shows that each of the students prefer online quizzes.
Step 1, first verb. The verb is shows. Ask “who or what shows?”
Step 2, find the subject. The phrase of the survey is extra. The subject is results.
Step 3, match. Results is plural, so the verb is show.
Step 4, second verb. The verb is prefer. Ask “who or what prefers?” The subject is each, not students.
Step 5, match. Each is singular, so the verb is prefers.
Step 6, rewrite. The results of the survey show that each of the students prefers online quizzes.
The mistake to watch for
The most common slip is letting the noun closest to the verb decide the verb.
Mistaken sentence: The quality of the photographs are excellent.
The writer saw photographs next to the verb and chose a plural.
Correction: The quality of the photographs is excellent. The subject is quality, which is singular. Crossing out of the photographs makes this visible: The quality is excellent.
A related trap is There is many reasons. The noun after there is is reasons, so use are.
Check yourself
Try these, then open each answer.
1. Choose: The list of ingredients (is / are) on the back of the box.
Show answer
is. The subject is list, which is singular.
2. Correct: Neither of my brothers play football.
Show answer
Neither of my brothers plays football. Neither is singular when it stands as the subject.
3. Correct: There is three buses to the airport every hour.
Show answer
There are three buses to the airport every hour. The verb follows the noun after there, which is plural.
Where this leads next
Next, try linking clauses with the intended contrast or cause, which uses the same habit of asking what each part of the sentence is doing. The mixed grammar practice set mixes agreement with the other skills in this module.
If you keep matching the verb to the nearest noun, a teacher can slow the process down on your own drafts in online one-to-one English as a Second Language tuition.