What is a Subject-Verb Agreement?
A grammatical principle instructs that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. Or in other words, you can say that if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. This agreement guarantees clarity and grammatical accuracy in sentences.
In grammar, subject-verb agreement is vital for maintaining clarity and logic in sentences. It means that the verb in a sentence must agree with the subject in terms of number (singular or plural). It’s important to pay attention to the subject-verb agreement, especially in more complex sentences where the subject might be separated from the verb by other elements. Here’s a breakdown of how subject-verb agreement works:
-
Singular subjects with singular verbs:
When the subject of a sentence is singular (referring to one person, animal, thing, or concept), the verb must also be singular. For example:
Examples:
The dog barks at strangers.
He wants to go to the park.
-
Plural subjects with plural verbs:
When the subject of a sentence is plural (referring to more than one person, animal, thing, or concept), the verb must also be plural.
Examples:
The dogs bark at strangers.
They want to go to the park.
-
Compound subjects:
When the subject consists of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by the conjunction ‘and’, it is usually treated as plural, and the verb should be plural.
Examples:
Tom and Jerry are good friends.
But when the subject consists of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by ór’, it is usually treated as singular, and the verb should be singular.
Examples:
Your mom or dad has to be at school within an hour.
-
Collective nouns:
Collective nouns, which refer to a group of individuals or things as a single entity, can be singular or plural depending on the context and intention of the sentence.
Examples:
The team is celebrating its victory. (Treating the team as a single unit)
-
Indefinite Pronouns:
Indefinite pronouns, such as ‘someone’, ‘anyone’, ‘no one’, ‘nobody’, ‘one’, ‘everyone’, ‘somebody’, ‘anybody’, ‘each’, ‘every; ‘everyone’, etc., are singular and should be paired with singular verbs.
Examples:
Everybody wants to be happy.
Somebody has left their bag here.
No one likes to eat spring onions at our place.
However, some indefinite pronouns like ‘both’, ‘few’, ‘many’, ‘several’, etc., are plural and should be paired with plural verbs.
Examples:
Both of them are attending the conference.
Several options are available.
-
Intervening Phrase or Clauses:
Sometimes, there might be phrases or clauses between the subject and the verb that can confuse the agreement. It’s essential to identify the subject and ensure agreement with the verb.
Examples:
The box of chocolates is on the table. (The subject ‘box’ is singular)
The collection of stamps is impressive. (The subject ‘collection’ is singular)
- Usage of ‘has’ or ‘have’:
‘Has’ and ‘have’ as a main verb are dependent on the subject. Singular subjects use ‘has’ and plural subjects use ‘have’.
Examples:
She has a book in her hand.
-
Nouns with quantifier:
Nouns used with a quantifier like ‘some’, ‘any’, ‘all’, a lot of’, and ‘most’ can be singular or plural and it depends on whether the subject is countable or uncountable.
Examples:
Some of the research was conducted at the University of Cambridge. (here research is an uncountable noun)
-
Or, neither. Nor:
If a subject is joined by either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also then the verb agrees to the subject nearest to it.
Examples:
Neither the boss nor the employees want to reschedule the meeting. (meeting is the nearest subject)
-
‘There is’ and ‘there are’:
‘There is’, ‘there are’, ‘here’, ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘these’, ‘those’ also agree with the noun that follows.
Examples:
There are many benefits in this company. (benefits is the nearest subject)
-
Abstract and Uncountable nouns:
Abstract nouns and uncountable nouns are considered to be singular and therefore we use singular verb with them.
Example:
Love is in the air.
Honesty is the best policy.
Understanding and applying subject-verb agreement rules correctly can significantly improve the clarity and correctness of your writing.
f you like this article and want to read more articles please use below mentioned link.
