What is Subject-Verb Agreement?
Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammar rule stating that the verb in a sentence must match the subject in number. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular; if plural, the verb must be plural.
Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match the subject's number: singular subject takes singular verb (he walks), plural subject takes plural verb (they walk).
- •The dog barks
- •She runs fast
- •It is broken
- •He does work
- •The dogs bark
- •They run fast
- •They are broken
- •They do work
Step-by-step worked examples
Choose the correct verb: 'The team _____ playing well.' (is/are)
Subject: 'The team' = singular (one team) Singular subject needs singular verb: 'is' Answer: The team is playing well.
Choose the correct verb: 'Either John or Mary _____ coming.' (is/are)
Subject: 'Either John or Mary' = treated as singular (each one alone) Singular verb: 'is' Answer: Either John or Mary is coming.
Choose the correct verb: 'The students _____ completed their homework.' (has/have)
Subject: 'The students' = plural Plural subject needs plural verb: 'have' Answer: The students have completed their homework.
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Which is correct?
Q2.Choose: 'The books _____ on the shelf.' (is/are)
Q3.Choose: 'Mathematics _____ my favorite subject.' (is/are)
Q4.Choose: 'Either students or the teacher _____ correct.' (is/are)
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Common mistakes
Using plural verb with singular collective nouns: 'The team are winning.' — Correct: Singular: 'The team is winning.'
Ignoring the subject: 'He don't like it.' — Correct: 'He doesn't like it' — match the subject.
Confusing uncountables: 'The information are useful.' — Correct: Information is singular: 'is useful.'
Ignoring prepositional phrases: 'The box of apples are heavy.' — Correct: Subject is 'box' (singular): 'is heavy.'
FAQ
What is subject-verb agreement?
Subject-verb agreement is the rule that a verb must match its subject in number — singular subjects take singular verbs, plural subjects take plural verbs.
Is a 'team' singular or plural?
Singular. Collective nouns like team, group, class are treated as one unit: 'The team is ready.'
Does a prepositional phrase affect the subject?
No — the subject is the noun before 'of/in/on'. 'The box of apples is heavy' (subject = box).
Subject-verb agreement examples?
Singular: 'She runs.' Plural: 'They run.' Uncountable: 'The information is useful.'