Subj

ect
-ver
bagr
eement

Basi
cRul
es

Thebasicr ul
est atesthatasi ngularsubjectt
akesasingularverb,whi
l
ea
pl
uralsubj
ecttakesapl uralverb.
Example:Thechildiscryi
ng.
Thechildrenareplay i
ng.
Rule1
Twosingularsubjectsconnectedbyorornorr equi
reasi
ngularver
b.
Example:
Myauntormyuncl eisarriv
ingbyt raintoday.

Rule2
Twosi ngularsubj
ect
sconnectedbyei
ther
/orornei
ther/
norrequi
reasi
ngul
ar
verbasi nRule1.
Exampl es:
NeitherJuannorCarmenisavail
abl
e.
Eit
herKi anaorCaseyi
shelpi
ngtodaywit
hstagedecorat
ions.

Rule3
WhenIi soneofthetwosubj
ectsconnect edbyei
ther
/orornei
ther
/nor
,puti
t
secondandf ol
lowitwit
hthesingularver
bam.
Exampl e:
NeithershenorIam goi
ngtothef esti
val
.

Rule4
Whenasi ngul
arsubj
ecti
sconnect
edbyorornort
oapl
uralsubj
ect
,putt
he
pl
uralsubj
ectl
astanduseaplur
alv
erb.
Example:
Theservi
ngbowlorthepl
atesgoonthatshel
f.

Rule5
Whenasi ngularandpluralsubj
ectareconnect
edbyei
ther
/orornei
ther
/nor
,
putthepluralsubjectl
astanduseapluralver
b.
Exampl e:
NeitherJennynort heother
sareavail
abl
e.

Rule6
Asagener alrul
e,useapl
uralv
erbwi t
htwoormoresubj
ect
swhent
heyar
e
connectedbyand.
Example:
Acarandabi kearemymeansoftranspor
tat
ion.
Rule7
Somet i
mest hesubj ectisseparatedf r
om t heverbbywor dssuchasal
ong
wit
h,aswel las,besides,[Link] heseexpressi
onswhendeter
mini
ng
whethertouseasi ngularorplur
alv er
b.
Examples:
Thepolit
ici
an,al
ongwi t
hthenewsmen, isexpectedshort
ly.
Excit
ement,aswell asnervousness, i
sthecauseofhershaking.

Rule8
The pronouns each,everyone,every one,ev ery
body,anyone,any
body
,
someone,andsomebodyar esingul
arandr equi
resingul
arver
[Link]
misledbywhatfol
lowsof.
Examples:
Eachofthegirl
ssingswell
.
Everyoneofthecakesisgone.
NOTE:Ev er
yoneisonewor dwheni tmeansev er
ybody
.Everyoneistwo
wordswhent hemeaningiseachone.

Rule9
Theexpressi
onthenumberi
sfol
lowedbyasi ngul
arver
bwhi
l
etheexpr
essi
on
anumberi sf
oll
owedbyaplur
alver
b.
Examples:
Thenumberofpeopleweneedtohir
eisthir
teen.
Anumberofpeoplehavewri
tt
eninaboutthi
ssubject
.

Rule10
Whenei therandneit
heraresubj
ects,
theyalway
stakesi
ngul
arv
erbs.
Exampl es:
Neitherofthem i
savail
abletospeakri
ghtnow.
Ei
therofusi scapableofdoi
ngthejob.

Rule11
Thewor dsher eandt her ehavegeneral
l
ybeenlabel
l
edasadverbseven
thought heyindicat
epl [Link]
encesbegi
nni
ngwithher
eorthere,t
he
subjectfol
lowsthev er
b.
Exampl es:
Therear efourhurdl
estoj ump.
Thereisahi ghhurdl
etoj ump.

Rule12
Useasi ngularver
bwithsumsofmoneyorperi
odsoftime.
Examples:
Tendollarsisahighpri
cetopay.
Fi
vey earsisthemaximum sent
encef
orthatof
fense.
Rule13
Coll
ecti
venounssuchast eam andst affmaybeei t
hersingul
arorpl
ural
dependingont heiruseinthesent ence.
Examples:
Thestaffisinameet i
ng.
Staffi
sact i
ngasauni ther
e.
Thestaffareindisagreementaboutt hefi
ndi
ngs.
Thestaffareactingassepar ateindivi
dual
sinthi
sexample.
Thesent encewoul dreadevenbet teras:
Thestaffmember sareindisagreementaboutthefi
ndi
ngs.