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Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement refers to the number agreement between the subject and the verb
of a sentence.
It may be noted that here the term agreement refers to the number agreement between
the subject and the verb of a sentence.
The whole topic revolves around one fundamental condition or rule, as we would call itRule: A singular subject agrees with a singular verb and a plural subject agrees with a plural
verb.
To exemplify the above rule, let us consider the following examplesRam is a boy. He plays guitar every day.
Ram and Shayam are friends. They play guitar every day.
The first example is the case where a singular subject Ram agrees with a singular
verb plays and a plural subject Ram and Shayam ( or they )agrees with a plural verb play.
Note:
The agreement between the subject and the verb is applicable only in present tense.
The agreement is applicable to the 3rd person subject
The whole topic can be considered a set of rules or conditions which we have to follow
while constructing a sentence.
The rules involved in the topic are as described below. We shall follow these rules with
examples.
Rule 1: If two subjects are connected by -neithernor; eitheror; Not onlybut
also; or. The verb agrees with the closest subject. Hence the rule is termed as Closest
Subject Rule (CSR).
1.
2.
3.
4.
Neither love nor lust is/are my motive.

Either the sisters or brothers is/are coming.
Not only the players but also the coach was/were disappointed by the performance.
Either you or he go/goes to the party, on my behalf.
According to the rule the verb agrees with the closest subject, hence the answers to the
above questions are- 1. Is; 2. Are; 3. Was; & 4. Goes.
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Rule 2: If two subjects are connected by- as well as; together with; along
with; including; except for; rather than. The verb agrees with the farthest subject.
Hence the rule is termed as Farthest Subject Rule (FSR).
1.
2.
3.
4.
Books, including a dictionary, is/are important in my life.

Paneer Nan and gravy, including a Lassi and Gurr, is/ are a deadly meal.
The coach, along with the players is/are jubilant.
The student, together with his parents, comes/come to us every day.
According to the rule the verb agrees with the farthest subject, hence the answers to the
above questions are- 1. Are; 2. Is ; 3. Is & 4. comes
Rule 3: Indefinite Pronouns and Subject Verb Agreement

Case-1: Indefinite pronouns that are always singular, such as, words ending with one,
-body
etc.
Someone
Somebody
No one
Each
Everybody
Each one
Every
words ending with-body , one
Either Neither
One
Nobody
Everyone
1. Is/are someone at the door?

2. Everybody is/are coming.
3. In Germany, every man, woman, child was/were subjected to the atrocities
perpetrated by Hitler.
4. Each of the three men is/are corrupt.
The answers to the questions above areHint: the pronouns above are treated singular and hence the verb would be singular as well.
Case-2: Indefinite pronouns that are always plural, such as- few, many, several, both
1. Few people is/are corrupt.
2. Many students relies/rely on their instincts to solve the questions based on
grammar.
3. Several problems requires/require analytical bent of mind, to reach to the solution
4. Too many cooks spoils/spoil the broth.
The answers to the questions above areHint: the pronouns above are treated plural and hence would agree with a plural verb.
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Case-3: Indefinite pronouns that can be both-singular and plural, depending on the
context. Such as- SANAM pronouns. These are- Some, All, None, Any & Most.
1.
2.
3.
4.
All the money was/were lost.

Some sand is/are wet.
Most of the students in this session is/are my students.
Most of the space was/were lost.
The verb of the sentence would not agree with the SANAM pronouns but would agree with
the noun or the pronoun coming after them.
Rule-4: Collective Nouns and SVA
Collective nouns are considered singular and hence would agree with a singular verb. This
rule is applicable, only if the collective nouns represent a collective sense.
Collective nouns- family, class, bouquet, bunch, herd, flock, pride, infantry, population,
cabinet, jury, group, galaxy, constellation, committee, board, with exceptions of- police,
cattle, etc.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The class is/are in progress.

The committee has/ have been instituted, to give the final decision on the case.
The jury was/were in its place.
The population of India is/are 1.2 bn.
The answers to the questions above are- 1. Is; 2. Has; 3. Was & 4. Is.
If the sense of a collective noun is not singular, it agrees with a plural verb, depending on
the context.
1. The committee has/have taken all the statutory responsibilities upon themselves
2. The class is/are taking a test to evaluate their performance
3. The team was/were putting on their shirts.
The collective nouns used over here are not singular in nature as can be seen.
The answers to the above questions are- 1. Have; 2. Are & 3. Were
Rule-5: Two singular countable subjects connected with and.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ram and Ravi is/are coming.

The batsman and the bowler was/were present at the ceremony.
CAT and GMAT is/are not paper-and-pen tests.
Salt and Pepper adds/add taste to the food.
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The answers to the questions above are- 1. Are; 2. Were; 3. Are & 4. Add.
Rule-6: Two singular countable subjects connected with and but they refer to one person,
place or a thing, i.e. collectively they refer to a singular sense or subject.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Bread and Butter is/are necessary for survival.

Green Chilies and Rice is/are my favorite dish.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is/are an interesting novel.
4. Red beans and Rice is/are a staple diet.
The answers to the questions above are- 1. Is; 2. Is; 3. Is & 4. Is

Rule-7: Percentages, fractions of a subject in SVA
Case-1: A percentage, a fraction of a SINGULAR subject (eg. a singular noun or a collective
noun) is treated as singular and hence we use a singular verb.
1.
2.
3.
4.
60% of the population supports/support the decision

Half of the pie has/have been consumed.
One-fourth of the house was/were blown away in the wind.
More than half of the book is/are rubbish.
The answers to the questions above- 1. Supports; 2. Has; 3. Was & 4. Is

Case-2: A percentage, a fraction of a PLURAL subject(eg. Boys, parties, glasses etc.) is
treated as plural and hence we use a plural verb.
1.
2.
3.
4.
30% of the people says/say that alcohol is bad for health.

More than half of you is/are my students.
One-fourth of the pizzas has/have been consumed.
40% of the sentences that are given these days is/are on egregious crimes.
The answers to the questions above- 1. Say; 2. Are; 3. Have & 4. Are.
Rule-8: Words that seem to be plural but are treated as singular.
News ; Mathematics; Economics; Politics; Statistics; Logistics ; Phonetics ; Whereabouts;
Stamina; Names of diseases- AIDS; Measles; Mumps etc.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Statistics is/are a difficult field

Politics is/are the major part of the corporate world.
Measles is/are contagious.
The evening news is/are aired at 9 pm.
The answers to the questions above are- 1. Is; 2. Is; 3. Is & 4. Is

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Rule-9: If we get both positive and negative vibes, the verb has to agree with the positive
part of the sentence.
1. It is not Carol but her sisters who is/are married.
2. It was the subject of the movie, not the actors, that has/have charmed the audience.
3. It is not the faculty members but the president who gives/give the final decision on
any case.
4. He, not I, is/are/am in charge of the program.
The answers to the questions above- 1. Are; 2. Has; 3. Gives; & 4. Is
Rule-10: Some nouns (subjects) are plural by nature and like to be with plural verbs.
Savings; Thanks; Surroundings; Riches; Goods; Outskirts; Belongings; Premises; Clothes;
Children; Earnings; Congratulations; People; Staff; Assets; Cattle
1.
2.
3.
4.
Children was/were playing in the ground.

Conducive surroundings plays/play an important role in achieving success.
People is/are jealous of me.
Children is/are misspelled in your essay.
The answers to the questions above are- 1. Were; 2. Play; 3. Are & 4. Is
Rule-11: Quantities and SVA.

Whenever a quantity is the subject in a given sentence, the verb used is singular.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Five thousand rupees is/are a large sum.

Two hours is/are a long time to complete the test.
Ten rupees is/are the entry fee.
I found the ten rupees that was/were tucked underneath the mattress.
15 kilometers is/are not so long a distance.
15 kilometers separates/separate my house from hers.
Ten thousand liters is/are a large quantity of oil.
Ten thousand liters of oil was/were spilled.
The answers to the above questions- 1. Is; 2. Is; 3. Are; 4. Were; 5. Is; 6. Separate; 7. Is & 8.
Were.
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Rules-12: SVA & Expletive Construction:

Expletive constructions involve sentences starting with There, Here, What , How, Where,
and these words are not subjects the nouns/pronouns are the subjects.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
There is/are your parents.

Here is/are the balance sheet you asked for
What is/are the balance in my account?
Where is/are the shoes I bought?
How is/are Kareena and I related?
The answers to the above questions are- 1. Are; 2. Is; 3. Is; 4. Are & 5. Are
Rule-13: Relative pronouns & SVA

1. It is you who is/are/am responsible for the problem.
2. It Is I who is/are/am the only friend you have.
3. Texas is one of those cities which is/are very polluted.
The answers to the above questions are- 1. Are; 2. Am; & 3. Are
Rule-14: Two infinitives or gerunds if separated by and, take a plural verb.

Infinitive: to + V1
Gerunds: (V1+ -ing)
1. To talk and (to) walk is/are good habits.

2. To live and (to) enjoy is/are my motto.
3. Running and learning is/are good exercises
4. Running and Living is/are my philosophy.
The answers to the above questions are- 1. Are; 2. Is; 3. Are & 4. Is
Rule-15: Words that are plural, such as- data, jeans eyeglasses , slacks, shoes, socks,
trousers, barracks, media, scissors, binoculars etc.
1. Your eyeglasses is/are on the table.
2. My jeans is/are dirty.
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3. These scissors is/are blunt.

The answers- 1. Are; 2. Are & 3. Are.
But, if these words are preceded by a pair of1. A pair of jeans costs/cost Rs.1000.
2. This pair of scissors is/are blunt.
The answers- 1. Costs & 2. Is
Rule-16: Majority Vs. Minority

1. The majority is/are against the decision.
2. A small minority indicates/indicate it supports the proposal
The answers are- 1. Is & 2. Indicates
Rule-17: The number Vs. A number
The number is treated as singular, whereas A number is treated as plural.
1. The number of people is/are large.
2. A number of people is/are against the decision.
3. The number of computer advances is/are increasing.
The answers are- 1. Is; 2. Are & 3. Is
So, having understood the rules or conditions governing the topic. Let us practice few
questionsExercise-1
Directions for questions 1 to 10: Choose the correct answer.
1. The mother duck, along with all her ducklings, swim/swims so gracefully.
2. Here is/are the three books you asked for
3. Five thousand rupees is/are all that I have to my name.
4. Some of the money that was/were spent is justified.
5. The majority of parliament is/are congressmen.
6. Rubal is one of those students who is/are very hard-working
7. Each of them is/are afraid to articulate certain words.
8. Anyone who is/are responsible for the problem will be punished.
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9. No one- neither her rivals nor mainstream journalists- has/have had the guts to raise
the voice.
10. The mayor will now have an opportunity to demonstrate that it is his management
techniques and not any one person, which is/are responsible for the success.
Exercise-2
Directions for questions 1 to 15: In the following question, identify the sentence/s which is/
are grammatically incorrect.
1.
A. Everyone has finished his or her homework.

B. The minister as well as his brothers are going to prison.
C. The minister and his brothers are going to jail.
D. Everyone have finished his or her homework.
1. A & C
2.
2. B
3. C
4. D
2. A & D
3. A & C
4. B & C
A. Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.

B. My assets were wiped out in the depression.
C. The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.
D. Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.
1. A & B
5.
4. Only D
A. The Chief Minister, who has been convicted along with his four cronies on four
counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several political lives,
are finally going to jail.
B. The news from the front is bad.
C. My pants is torn.
D. A pair of checkered trousers is in the closet.
1. B & D
4.
3. Only B
A. Neither of the two traffic lights are working.

B. Has either of you two clowns read the assignment?
C. Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.
D. There are two reasons for this.
1. A
3.
2. B & D
2. B & C
3. C & D
4. All are correct
A. More than one student have tried this.

B. Some of the voters are still angry.
C. Two and two are four.
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D. A large percentage of the older population are voting against her.

1. A, B & C
6.
A.
B.
C.
D.
2. C & D
3. A & C
4. B & D
2. A & C
3. B & D
4. A & D
A. The department members but not the chair have decided not to teach on Diwali.
B. It is not the faculty members but the president who decide this issue.
C. It was the principal, not his ideas, that has provoked the students to riot.
D. The jury disagree about the guilt of the accused and have told the judge that they
have no hope of resolving the stalemate.
1. A
9.
4. A, B, C & D
A. Fifty percent of the student body are in favor of changing the policy.
B. Fifty percent of the students are in favor of changing the policy.
C. Three-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
D. After the four-hour practice under the wicked sun, the team showers, changes into
its casual clothes, and heads to its air-conditioned hotel suites.
1. B & C
8.
3. A, C & D
Every evening the cricket team follow its coach out to the hot field for practice.
All members of the team arrives at the same place at the same time.
Today, Dr. Rakesh's class takes its first 100-item exam.
The jury agrees that the state prosecutors did not provide enough evidence, so its
verdict is not guilty.
1. A & B
7.
2. B, C & D
2. B
3. C
4. D
A. The problem is the mice.

B. The mice are the problem.
C. The problem are taxes.
D. At the end of the Diwali holidays comes the best sales.
1. A & B
2. C & D
3. A & C
4. B & D
10. A. Either are fine with me.

B. Only a handful of the protesters remains on the streets.
C. Some of the food are cold.
D. Amitabh and Jitender each is applying for the position
1. A, B & C
2. B, C & D
3. A, C & D
4. A, B , C & D
11. A. Chicken and dumplings is my favourite Sunday morning breakfast.

B. A psychiatric analysis and examination of Ramesh has been done.
C. Guns and Roses is my favourite rock group of the 1990s.
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D. Slow and steady wins the race.

1. A & B
2. C & D
3. A, B, C & D
4. All are correct
12. A. Neither the students nor the teacher are responsible.

B. The Chief Minister and party president have agreed to the proposal of the new
international airport.
C. The Chief Minister and the party president has agreed to the proposal of the new
international airport.
D. Either the teacher or the students are responsible.
1. A, B & C
13. A.
B.
C.
D.
3. A, C & D
4. A, B & D
She is one of the girls who cheers on Sunday nights at the stadium.
She is one of the girls who cheer on Sunday nights at the stadium.
She is the only one of the cheerleaders who have a broken arm.
She is the only one of the cheerleaders who has a broken arm.
1. B & D
14. A.
B.
C.
D.
2. B, C & D
2. B & C
3. A & D
4. A & C
The crew is well trained.

The Khanna family is going on vacation this year.
The Khanna family is going to fight all the way through their vacation.
The mob has dispersed.
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
15. A. Ethics is being taught at the University.

B. His unusual business ethics gets him into trouble.
C. Statistics is taught at B-schools.
D. No statistics is available on calls-to-conversions ratio.
1. A & C
2. B & D
3. A & D
4. B & C
Exercise-3
Directions for questions 1 to 10: Choose the correct answer option.
1. The ranger and camper sees/see the bear.
2. Neither threats nor hostile action scares/ scare the enemy.
3. A sweet potato and some carrots provides/provide Vitamin A, important for healthy
eyes
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4. Unfortunately for the working class, neither diet nor vitamins alone provides/provide
sufficient fuel for good health.
5. The boys-scout members learns/ learn a variety of different skills that are valuable at
the camp.
6. The Lions club members often gets/get together to talk over old times.
7. The child, together with his parents, visits/visit us every week.
8. His mastery of several sports and the social graces makes/make him a popular host.
9. Either of us is/are capable of doing this work
10. There is/are many reasons why I cant help you.
Exercise-4
Directions for questions 1 to 5: Choose the sentence in which the subjects and verbs have
been correctly identified and in which the subjects and verbs agree. The subjects are in bold
and the verbs are underlined.
1.
A)
B)
C)
D)
At the end of the story, they was living happily ever after.
At the end of the story, they were living happily ever after.
At the end of the story, they were living happy ever after.
At the end of the story, they was living happily ever after.
2.
A)
B)
C)
D)
Ali and Atif went to the beach to surf with their friends.
Ali and Atif go to the beach to surf with their friends.
Ali and Atif goes to the beach to surf with their friends.
Ali and Atif goes to the beach to surf with their friends.
3.
A) The group of children from that school has never seen the ocean.
B) The group of children from that school have never seen the ocean.
C) The group of children from that school has never saw the ocean.
D) The group of children from that school have never seen the ocean.
4.
A)
B)
C)
D)
Neither she nor they will be willing to predict the election results.
Neither she nor they was willing to predict the election results.
Neither she nor they was willing to predict the election results.
Neither she nor they were willing to predict the election results.
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5.
A) My problem, which is minor in comparison with others, exists because I dropped out of
high school.
B) My problem, which is minor in comparison with others, exist because I dropped out of
high school.
C) My problem, which is minor in comparison with others, existed because I dropped out of
high school.
D) My problem, which is minor in comparison with others, exist because I dropped out of
high school.
Answer Key
Exercise-1
1. swims
6. are
10.Are
2. Are
7. Is
3. Are
8. Is
4. Was
9. Has
5. Is
2. 1
7. 4
12.1
3. 3
8. 2
13.4
4. 4
9. 2
14.3
5. 3
10.4
15.2
2. Scares
6. Get
10. Are
3. Provide
7. Visits
4.Provide
8. Makes
2. B
3. A
4. D
Exercise-2
1. 2
6. 1
11.4
Exercise-3
1. Sees
5. Learn
9. is
Exercise-4
1. B
5. A
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Career Caf

CAT * MAT * MET * GRE * GMAT * IELTS * TOEFL

Neither love nor lust is/are my motive.

Books, including a dictionary, is/are important in my life.

Rule 3: Indefinite Pronouns and Subject Verb Agreement

1. Is/are someone at the door?

All the money was/were lost.

The class is/are in progress.

Ram and Ravi is/are coming.

Bread and Butter is/are necessary for survival.

The answers to the questions above are- 1. Is; 2. Is; 3. Is & 4. Is

60% of the population supports/support the decision

The answers to the questions above- 1. Supports; 2. Has; 3. Was & 4. Is

30% of the people says/say that alcohol is bad for health.

Statistics is/are a difficult field

The answers to the questions above are- 1. Is; 2. Is; 3. Is & 4. Is

Children was/were playing in the ground.

Rule-11: Quantities and SVA.

Five thousand rupees is/are a large sum.

Rules-12: SVA & Expletive Construction:

There is/are your parents.

Rule-13: Relative pronouns & SVA

Rule-14: Two infinitives or gerunds if separated by and, take a plural verb.

Gerunds: (V1+ -ing)

1. To talk and (to) walk is/are good habits.

3. These scissors is/are blunt.

Rule-16: Majority Vs. Minority

A. Everyone has finished his or her homework.

A. Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.

A. Neither of the two traffic lights are working.

4. All are correct

A. More than one student have tried this.

D. A large percentage of the older population are voting against her.

A. The problem is the mice.

10. A. Either are fine with me.

11. A. Chicken and dumplings is my favourite Sunday morning breakfast.

D. Slow and steady wins the race.

4. All are correct

12. A. Neither the students nor the teacher are responsible.

The crew is well trained.

15. A. Ethics is being taught at the University.

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