Deepen your understanding of Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord) and related English skills with these resources:
Match singular and plural subjects to the right verbs - collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, there is/are, and tricky concord rules.
Subject verb agreement at an advanced level is not only about obvious singular and plural nouns. It also depends on the grammatical head of the subject, the meaning of the expression, and whether the noun phrase contains quantity, measurement, or partitive structures. • A singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb, but advanced sentences often hide the head noun inside longer phrases. • In phrases such as the box of chocolates, the box is the head noun, so the verb agrees with box, not chocolates. • Quantities, amounts of money, time, distance, and measurements are usually treated as singular when viewed as a single amount: ten dollars is enough, two hours is a long wait, and five kilometers is a fair distance. • The number of means a specific quantity and takes a singular verb, while a number of means several and takes a plural verb. • Words like each, every, either, neither, one, and each of usually signal singular agreement, even when they refer to more than one item. • Percentages and fractions agree with the noun that follows them: fifty percent of the students are absent, but fifty percent of the cake is gone. Advanced exam questions often test whether you can identify the true subject rather than the nearest noun. When the subject includes of, the phrase after of does not automatically control the verb. Instead, decide whether the main noun is singular, plural, countable, or treated as a unit.
• The box of chocolates is on the table. (box is the subject head) • Ten dollars is enough for the ticket. (amount treated as one sum) • The number of applicants is rising. (the number means one figure) • A number of applicants are waiting outside. (a number of means several) • Fifty percent of the students are present. (students is plural) • Each of the candidates has submitted a form. (each is singular)
Find the head noun first; do not be distracted by the noun next to the verb. Treat money, time, distance, and measurements as singular when they represent one total unit.
Many advanced concord errors come from subjects joined by and, or, nor, and from pronoun-like structures such as indefinite pronouns and partitives. The key is to identify whether the subject is acting as a single unit or as separate alternatives. • Subjects joined by and normally take a plural verb: my brother and sister are arriving. If the two nouns refer to one idea, place, or person, a singular verb may be possible: fish and chips is a popular snack. • With or and nor, the verb agrees with the nearest subject in standard formal English: neither the teacher nor the students are prepared. This is called the proximity rule. • Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, everybody, somebody, someone, anyone, anything, each, and neither are singular. Words such as both, many, several, few, and both of are plural. • Some, all, most, and none can be singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to: all of the cake is gone, but all of the cakes are gone. • In relative clauses, the verb agrees with the antecedent inside the clause. One of the students who are missing has apologized, but the student who is missing has apologized. • Structures like one of, either of, neither of, and each of usually take singular agreement in the main clause, though the noun in the of phrase may be plural. These patterns are frequent in exams because they require you to match grammar with meaning across clauses, not just within one clause.
• My parents and my uncle are coming. (compound subject, plural) • Neither the manager nor the assistants were informed. (nearest subject controls verb) • Everyone on the committee has agreed. (everyone is singular) • Some of the milk is spoiled. (milk is uncountable singular) • One of the players who are injured is absent. (players in relative clause, one in main clause) • The student who speaks French is the new monitor. (student is singular)
For and, usually think plural; for or and nor, check the nearest subject. In relative clauses, ask whether the clause describes one noun or many nouns.
Advanced subject verb agreement also includes special cases where form and meaning may point in different directions. Some nouns look plural but behave singularly, and some collective nouns can take either singular or plural verbs depending on whether the group acts as one unit or as individuals. • Collective nouns such as team, family, committee, audience, government, and staff can take singular verbs in British English when the group acts as one unit: the committee is meeting today. They can take plural verbs when the members act separately: the committee are divided on the issue. • Nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning, such as news, mathematics, physics, measles, and politics, normally take singular verbs. Nouns that are plural in form and meaning, such as scissors, trousers, jeans, and spectacles, take plural verbs. • Titles of books, films, newspapers, and works of art are treated as singular:
• The committee is meeting at noon. (group as one unit) • The committee are arguing among themselves. (members acting separately) • The news is bad today. (singular in meaning) • These jeans are too tight. (plural in form and meaning) • Where are the keys? (real subject keys is plural) • On the wall hangs a large portrait. (inversion with singular subject)
In inversion, ask what the true subject is after the verb or at the end of the sentence. For collective nouns, decide whether the group acts as one body or as separate people.